


Through The Valley of The Sun

by Nameha



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Humor, Kakashi is an honorary Uchiha, M/M, Mutual Pining, Naruto has a crush, No Uchiha Massacre, Pre-Genin, Protective Uchiha Itachi, Protective Uchiha Obito, Protective Uchiha Shisui, Sasuke Has a Crush, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:20:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21782098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nameha/pseuds/Nameha
Summary: After Naruto saves Sasuke from being kidnapped by bloodline thieves, during the academy field trip to the Land of Lightening, they find themselves in a strange valley. A valley that is said to intertwine the fate and destiny of those who enter. However, something sinister lurks there as well.
Relationships: Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 32
Kudos: 233





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a concept I've been thinking about for awhile, it's also rife with all my headcanons! ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. Thinking of updating this every week because I have a lot written for it already

“Sasuke?”

Sasuke looked up from his plate of scrambled eggs, eyes bleary from sleep and his shirt askew.

“Are you nervous for today?” Itachi gave him a warm, teasing, smile. Eyes turning up at the corners, chin resting on his palm. He was sitting to the left of Sasuke, his own plate in front of him. 

“No!” Sasuke sat up straighter, shaking off the remnants of sleep with a firm shake of his head.

“I'm not a baby, Itachi, I can handle it.” Sasuke puffed up his cheeks in a pout, arms folded. 

Itachi chuckled into his tea as he took a sip. Sasuke wasn't a genin yet, he hadn't even graduated the academy. 

He was still very much the baby, of the family, of the clan.

Sasuke eyed Itachi's extra piece of toast, it wasn't fair. He had only gotten half. He was about to vocalize the childish thought when he was interrupted by the shoji door to the kitchen sliding open.

Shisui stepped inside, with a wave. The sun a dime backdrop to his bright smile

“Hey 'tachi!” Shisui took a seat beside Itachi and bumped their shoulders, grabbing the second piece of toast off Itachi's plate and taking a bite.

Ah, Sasuke thought, that made sense. 

Shisui had been practically living with them these last few weeks. Spending more and more time with his brother, they were inseparable, much to Sasuke's growing dismay at having to share his brothers attention. 

But Sasuke liked Shisui, so he wasn't as upset as he would have been.

“Shisui!” Sasuke's eyes lit up with a smile. Shisui was his second favorite person, He only had three favorite people, if he would ever admit to having favorites outside Itachi.

“Are you excited, Sasuke” Shisui took another bite of the toast, then slid Itachi's cup of tea over to himself.

“Yeah!” Sasuke shifted in his seat. But the bundle of concealed nerves in his stomach squirmed.

“You're gonna be gone for 4, whole days, that's a pretty long time.”

Itachi had stiffened before forcing himself to relax, though Shisui caught the movement and leaned further into him. This would be the first time Sasuke was away from home, away from Itachi, and it was much longer then Itachi was comfortable with.

“We're going to spend a couple nights, but I think most of it is going to be spent walking...” Sasuke tried to remember exactly what the teacher, Iruka, had said leading up to their planned departure.

“Mhm, I got you something.” Shisui smiled mischievously and Itachi raised an eyebrow, over the cup he took back, as if to say 'did you now?'

“A present?” Sasuke's eyes shined as he leaned forward.  
“Yeah, something like that.” Shisui produced a large, grey, square hip box from his back. He must have gotten it from his mission.

He reached across the table, box in both hands as he handled it to Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at it, curiously, he had a small smile on his lips. 

Shisui always gave the best presents.

“Well? Go ahead, open it.” Shisui sat back and Itachi leaned forward to inspect the contents.

Sasuke quickly opened it, unclipping the two front clips and pulling the top back.

Inside, on the left of a fabric divider were 4 scrolls as thick as Shisui's forearm but only half as long. On the other side was a large, unopened, medical box. Tucked behind the box was a field guide on foreign flora and fauna.

“He'll only be gone a few days, Shisui...” Itachi glanced at Shisui, concern hidden in his eyes. 

Shisui had impeccable foresight and the feeling that Shisui could know something he didn't made him nervous. The take home note that that Iruka gave the class had a very limited list of materials, the rest were to be provided by the academy.

Shisui put his hand to his chest, feigning offensive.

“You should know better then anyone! The most prepared shinobi is the one that stays alive.”

“Thank you Shisui!” Sasuke beamed and Shisui and Itachi felt their hearts melt. 

Itachi's apprehension slipping away.

“Is there any kunai?” Sasuke glanced at Shisui as he flipped through the book. 

Itachi got up to refill his tea.

“Yes, Shisui, is there any kunai in there?” Itachi's back was turned to the two Uchiha.

“What? Of course not, how irresponsible do you think I am to give a weapon to a child?” Shisui winked at Sasuke and motioned under the med kit. But he mouthed 'Later.'

Sasuke nodded enthusiastically and placed the book back behind the medical box.

Itachi glanced at the clock.

“We should be going, Sasuke get your shoes on.”  
“Okay!”

Sasuke got up, scampering to the front, Itachi and Shisui followed suit.

“Here, let's put it on you.”

Shisui wrapped the thick strap around Sasuke's waist and pulled the clip shut.

“Uh...” Shisui scratched the back of his neck.

“It's a little big but it looks great.”

The corners of the bag stuck out from Sasuke's hips about 2 inches on either side. The top of the bag coming up to near the middle of his back. 

His own small backpack sagged over the rest, with the strap coming down horizontally across his chest.

Itachi stifled a laugh before glancing at Shisui, who stood with his hands on his hips proud of the littlest Uchiha.

Shisui had smudges of dirt on his cheeks and some on his clothes, dark circles and lines shadowed underneath his eyes. He must have come immediately from the mission debrief.

“Are you tired, Shisui? I'll take Sasuke and you can go to my room and rest.” Itachi placed a gentle hand on Shisui's shoulder, his dark eyes incredibly fond.

“Nah, I'll rest later, I wouldn't miss seeing Sasuke off.”

Sasuke was half way out the door, leaning on the frame.

“Big brother! We have to go!” Sasuke pouted.  
“Yes, yes, we're coming.”

The three made their way to the academy.  
\----  
Sasuke, normally quiet and reserved, was talking about everything under the sun. Itachi nodded along and Shisui chimed in now and again to keep the conversation going.

They arrived at the entrance to the academy within twenty five minutes. 

Itachi and Shisui hung back to say their goodbyes as Sasuke approached the front entrance.

The academy seemed to loom over him, his mounting anxiety about leaving coming to a head. He clung tightly to the strap over his chest.

The Uchiha jealously guarded their children and Sasuke didn't leave the compound for much outside of school, training, and occasionally going to the market. 

It had taken Mikoto, Itachi and Shisui to convince Fugaku to let Sasuke take part in the academy field trip. But he had never been away from home, not even to spend the night at the Uzumaki residence. 

The realization dawned on him that he would be gone for days and would not be able to see his brother or Shisui.

He turned sharply on his heel and ran back to the still waiting pair. Hugging Itachi by the waist and burying his face in his stomach. Itachi smiled and carded his fingers through Sasuke's hair.

Sasuke pulled away, his face the portrait of unwavering determination. 

“I'm going to miss you, big brother.”

Itachi thought his brother had changed his mind and would stay home. He didn't let his disappointment show, however.

He smiled softly and crouched down, putting their foreheads together.

“I will miss you too, little brother.”

Sasuke turned to Shisui and put his arms up, signaling that he would give him a hug him too.

“I'll miss you too Shisui.”

It was rare that Sasuke showed affection to anyone that wasn't Itachi or his immediate family.

Shisui was going to make the most of every opportunity.

Shisui's eyes widened a fraction before hooking his fingers under Sasuke's arms and pulling him into the air. Spinning him around once and holding him to his chest, Sasuke squirmed but didn't pull away.

“I'm gonna miss you too! You're gonna do great! Go get'em”

He put Sasuke down, ruffling his hair with a laugh. Sasuke nodded once as Shisui gave him a thumbs up, and he sprinted into the building before he could have any more second thoughts.  
\---  
Sasuke stood outside his classroom door, taking a deep breath before pushing it open and scanning the classroom. 

Everyone was already here, well, almost everyone. The children had already formed small groups and we're talking among themselves. The girls greeted him in unison and the boys just barely spared a glance. 

The shy Hyuuga heiress, Hinata, gave him a small smile and wave, her body guard, a serious faced chuunin level Hyuuga, stood behind her.

Sasuke felt a small swell of pride. Even with Fugaku's hesitancy, he hadn't assigned a guard. He thought Sasuke would be able to handle it on his own. 

A test of his competency.

Sasuke took his seat by the window, a small frown on his lips, the loudmouth was noticeable absent. Sasuke glanced at the clock. He should have been here by now. 

Naruto wouldn't shut up about this trip for the last couple weeks. It didn't make sense that he wasn't here. Sasuke briefly wondered if it was too late to go home. 

It's not like he didn't get along with his classmates, he tolerated them well enough and could work with them. 

But they weren't his friends.

Just as he was mulling it over the door swung opened, rattling on it's hinges.

“Naruto Uzumaki has arrived!” Naruto shouted, his red headed mother grabbing him by the arm.

“Naruto! You can't just bust in here, ya know?!”

She turned to Iruka to apologize for the door. He waved it off, everyone was excited today. 

“Alright, be good, I'll miss you, ya know?” Kushina bent down and kissed Naruto on the forehead, who laughed, arms behind his head. A wide smile plastered on his face.

“Yeah I will, I will!”

After she left, Naruto made a beeline for Sasuke, getting on the desk in his haste.

“Hey Sasuke!” Naruto beamed, crouching in front of him. All his teeth on display.

“Hey... idiot.” Sasuke smirked, his previous apprehension gone entirely.

“Alright everyone settle down while I go over the rules one more time.” Iruka stood at the front, trying to corral a bunch of eight year olds into listening to him.

“We'll be going to the land of lightening, but more specifically into the Valley of The Sun. Now,” Iruka pulled down a map of lightening country, various mountain ridges dotted the topography.

“We'll be starting here, we have several jutsu to take us to our starting point, then we'll walk the 10 miles to the valley.”

A pink haired girl with a red ribbon tying her hair back raised her hand.

“Yes, Sakura?”

"Why can't we just jutsu into the valley?"

“Excellent question! The Valley of The Sun is a very strange phenomena. The flow of chakra is disrupted there, so jutsu won't be able to be used in the valley.”

Sakura nodded, statisifed. Everyone murmured among themselves, likely wanting to ask the same question.

“We have a few Jonin joining us to help with transport and three of them will stay behind as chaperones. We have special Jonins Genma Shiranui, Raido Namiashi and Aoba Yamashiro they will be performing a modified version of the Second Hokages' flying raijin--”

“That's my dad's jutsu!” Naruto yelled, slamming his hands down on the desk.

“The second Hokage invented it, idiot.” Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Naruto huffed and sat down.

“If I may continue, Naruto?”  
“Sorry, hehe.”

“Then we have Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha, who will be using Kamui.”

The Jonins appeared in a great cloud of smoke.

“Everyone line up, you can pick who you want to go with. Genma, Raido and Aoba can take as many as 5 at a time, Kakashi and Obito can take 3 each.”

Everyone stood up and started excitedly forming single file lines in front of the Jonin of their choice.

“Baby Cousin!” Obito yelled, waving him over.

Sasuke leaned over to Naruto, pointedly ignoring Obito's loud mouth.

“Let's go with Genma and the others.” Sasuke whispered.

As they tried to join in that line. Obito caught Sasuke by the backpack and dragged him over.

“Oh no you don't! You little brat, get over here! Family's gotta stick together.”

Sasuke squirmed and huffed as he was pulled back towards Obito. Sakura came running up to join the boys.

“I'm coming too!”

“Heh, that's more like it! I like your enthusiasm! This jutsu is extra special and totally cool! Watch this!”

Obito channeled chakra to his eyes, the Mangekyo flaring to life.

“Kamui!”

The air around them swirled and distorted pulling the four of them into the void.

They stood in a dimensional space of large marbled pillers that stretched on forever.

Sakura and Naruto marvelled, oohing and ahhing as they looked around. Sasuke seemed less then impressed, having seen this jutsu multiple times before, the novelty had worn off.

“See! What'd I tell you! Awesome right?” Obito struck a pose, basking in the wonderment of the two 8 year olds.

“Yeah! It's so cool!” Naruto hopped around excitedly, dipping between the pillers as Sakura followed him.

“Heh, well, I do have the coolest Mangekyo ability in the clan.” Obito beamed with a proud sniff.

“Itachi's is cooler and stronger.” Sasuke stated with a roll of his eyes, uninterested in Obito's bragging.

“What! I'm way stronger then Itachi! I could fold him like laundry!”

Sasuke turned to Obito, arms crossed and chin up, his glare intensified. 

“You can't beat my brother! No one can! He's the strongest! And he doesn't have to share a jutsu with anyone!”

“Why you little--” Obito bent down to get in Sasuke's face.

“What's this?”

Obito snapped his head towards Sakura, who was standing at a little shrine up against one of the smaller pillers. 

It had pictures of Obito and Rin together and little nick knacks from their missions together. Obito turned beet red and Sasuke smirked.

“Uh! Hey! Nothing! get back over here!”  
“It's so cute! How romantic!” Sakura gushed.

“How Embarrassing.” Sasuke scoffed and Obito turned his attention to Sasuke once again, red with embarrassment and seething.

“I swear I'm totally going to--”

Another portal opened and Kakashi stuck his head through. Raising his visible eyebrow.

“Are you seriously being bullied by a child?” Kakashi sighed.  
“Hurry up, Obito. You're the last to show up, as always.”

“Dammit! Stay out of this!”

Obito opened the portal fully and Sakura and Naruto ran out to join their class mates.

Obito grabbed the back of Sasuke's collar to keep him there, Sasuke scowled as he stumbled back righting himself quickly.

“Hey!”  
“Sasuke. After I leave, you'll be on your own.”

Sasuke turned to him, then to his class tracing over the faces.

“You remember the clan warning?”

Sasuke's eyes settled on Hinata and her bodyguard, his stomach slowly sinking and his eyes far away.

“Look at me.”

Sasuke turned back to face Obito, who was kneeling now. Leveling him with a serious expression. One that was rarely seen and more rare then that, it was directed at Sasuke.

“Beware of bloodline thieves...” Sasuke whispered, his voice small.

Obito nodded and stood up.

“That's right, be careful, be safe.” 

“Sasuke! Hurry up!” Naruto shouted and Sasuke spared one last look at Obito who was dissipating into Kamui, eyes still trained on Sasuke.

“I'm coming!” Sasuke ran over to join Naruto and Sakura.

“Your cousins jutsu is so cool!”  
“He's not my cousin.”  
\---  
Itachi and Shisui walked side by side back to the compound, Itachi stared forward.

Itachi didn't need to say anything, as usual, Shisui was extremely perceptive of his moods. He knew that Itachi was worried about Sasuke being alone.

But of course Shisui had the solution, Shisui always had the solutions to Itachi's problems.

“C'mon!” Shisui grabbed Itachi's hand and without another word teleported them to a empty training field. It would put Itachi at ease to be out of public. But he wasn't done just yet.

Itachi studied him curiously as Shisui gave him a smile, he flew through complicated hand signs. Biting his thumb and slamming both hands on the ground.

“Summoning jutsu!”

A cloud of smoke appeared under his hands and he stepped back, Itachi leaned forward as the smoke cleared.

A crow with three eyes, one on each side and one on it's forehead, gawked at them.

“Uchiha Shisui. Your request?” Beak shut, it spoke, voice overlapping as if there was more then one entity speaking.

“Hey Chise! I need a favor, I need you to keep an eye on Sasuke Uchiha.”

The bird was staring at them with glassy, inquisitive eyes. 

It opened it's mouth, for an offering.

Shisui produced a strand of Sasuke's hair and dropped it into Chise's mouth along with a drop of his own blood.

“The contract is sealed.”

"Great! but stay out of sight. Report back to me immediately if anything is to go wrong. Now, go!"

The bird flew off.

Itachi looked at Shisui gratefully, he felt more relieved now that there would be another set of eyes on Sasuke. But the edge of curiosity clawing at his expression.

“I didn't know you had a summoning contract.”  
“There's lots of things you don't know about me.”

Shisui winked and Itachi pouted.

“C'mon don't make that face!” Shisui laughed, pinching Itachi's cheeks. It earned him a small smile and a bigger blush.

“We can train and I'll treat you afterwards. Sound good?”  
“Sounds... perfect.”  
\---  
Iruka, along with the other Jonin chaperones, lead the children through the large forests that encompassed the mountains. The children were free to wander around as long as they kept to groups of at least three and stayed somewhat close by.

Naruto and an Inuzuka boy, Kiba, decided to push their luck. Going far off trail and away from the watchful eyes of the Jonin. Sasuke opted to follow Naruto, his face in the field guide, glancing up every now and again to make sure Naruto stayed out of trouble. 

“Naruto! Check it out!” Kiba yelled, popping out of a bush that was decorated with brightly colored berries. He had fist full of berries.

“Huh, what’s the big deal, they’re just berries. What’s so special about’em?” Naruto stepped closer and Kiba gave him half of the hand full and Naruto picked one up to inspect it further.

“Geez, you stupid? These are the best! They taste just like candy!” Kiba popped one in his mouth and Naruto’s eyes shined with the prospect of a treat. He was about to drop it into his mouth when it was swatted out of his hand.

“What the hell, Sasuke! You bastard that was mine!” Naruto turned his full attention to Sasuke, who merely peeked over the book to stare him down.

“Don’t eat that, Idiot. You’ll get sick.”  
“Don’t be such a princess, Uchiha. They’re like the ones back home! They ain’t gonna do shit!”

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at the insult. But opted to ignore Kiba, his attention focused on Naruto.

“They’re Grand Fisher berries. They look like the ones from Konoha but they’re not.”  
“Huh? You sure?” Naruto looked at all the berries in his hand. The glossy skin shining in the light, they really did look like the ones from Konoha.

“I’m course I’m sure. It says it right here, Shisui wouldn’t give me something that was wrong.” Sasuke folded his arms and rolled his eyes for effect.

“Pft! Yeah right! Akamaru doesn’t have a problem with them, do ya boy?” Kiba unzipped his hoodie to reveal the white puppy hidden underneath. Akamaru ruffed happily, turning his nose up at Sasuke.

“Heh, even Akamaru thinks you’re a priss!” Kiba snorted, while stuffing more berries in his mouth.

Sasuke scrunched up his face and looked at Naruto, who was barely holding in his own laughter. The tips of Sasuke’s ears were turning pink but he refused to pout in front of the two boys, plus one dog.

“Okay, okay, Kiba, that’s enough.” Naruto looked at Sasuke, smiling while he dropped the berries. If Sasuke said not to eat them, well, that was good enough for him. Sasuke almost gave a smile of his own but quickly schooled his features, exhaling with a huff through his nose as he brought the field guide back up to his face.

After a couple of hours, Naruto was glad that he listened to Sasuke. Kiba was more then enough for the Jonin to deal with. Writhing around on the ground in pain, turning positively green, all the while expelling varies bodily fluids. Naruto cringed at the thought, that it could’ve been him right along side Kiba. Sasuke, however, just looked smug.

“What else did Shisui give you?” Naruto peeked over Sasuke’s shoulder to stare at the hip box, Naruto’s face coming incredibly close to his own. Naruto’s hair tickled the shell of Sasuke’s ear and the high of his cheeks. Sasuke pulled away with a scowl, grasping the shoulder strap of his bag. 

“Come on! Let me see!” Naruto whined, making grabby hands at the bag. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto was going to be a shinobi, he should have more dignity. Especially as the only son of the Hokage.

“Fine!” Sasuke snapped and Naruto beamed, knowing he had one this round against the prickly little Uchiha. Sasuke glanced around, making sure no Jonin nor any of the other children were around to see them sneak off. Sasuke tilted his head as an indication to follow him and Naruto obeyed, happily falling into line as Sasuke lead them off the trail behind a tree.

Sasuke knelt down, unclipping the hip box and placing it between his knees as he opened the bag. Naruto stared down, nearly leaning into Sasuke, eyes shining curiously. Sasuke pushed him away with a flat palm against his chest.

“Back up, idiot.” Sasuke muttered and Naruto stuck out his tongue. Sasuke took the medical box out and handed it to Naruto who, after a quick look, decided it was uninteresting and set it aside. Sasuke handed him the field guide next, Naruto flipped through it before placing it along side the medical box. Then Sasuke pulled out the kunai that Shisui had hidden. 

The kunai caught the sun, gleaming, as he turned it over. The Uchiha crest branded into the handle, he traced it with a delicate finger. Sasuke felt a pang of longing, it hadn’t even been a day and he was already starting to feel homesick. He briefly wondered if this feeling would intensify over the coming days or would it dissipate the longer he spent away, he subconsciously bit the inside of his lower lip.

“That’s so cool!” 

Sasuke blinked up at Naruto, he flushed, embarrassed. He had gotten too caught up in his own thoughts that he forgot what he was doing.

“Is it real? Can I hold it? Come on Sasuke please!”  
“Keep it down!” Sasuke hissed.

“Here.” Sasuke held the kunai out to Naruto, careful to point the blade down. The ninja cats that exclusively dealt weapons to the Uchiha were notorious arms dealers that only sold the highest quality in terms of lethality. 

Naruto took it gingerly, gripping the hilt tightly and grinning. He swung it in wide arcs and held it to his chest like he’s seen others do at the academy. The kunai was heavily then he expected it to be, nothing like the rubber ones they practice with.

“Naruto. Be careful, it’s really shar-”  
“Ah!” 

The kunai, due to the offset of it’s weight, slid out of Naruto’s hand. The blade dragging across his palm. The kunai hit the ground between Naruto’s feet. Naruto held his hand to his chest, wincing. Sasuke bolted to his feet and grabbed Naruto’s wrist in a vice.

“Idiot! Let me see!” Sasuke tugged Naruto’s hand towards him to inspect the wound. A thin, deep, line ran diagonally across his palm. From just below his index finger down. It didn’t bleed at first, the skin cleanly separated before blood started to pool in the crease of the wound. Running down his palm in little streams.

“It’s deep….” Sasuke muttered, his eyebrows pinched close together and a frown tugging his lips down. Naruto grimaced as Sasuke pulled the skin.

Sasuke let go of Naruto’s hand to open the medical box, picking out supplies and setting other pieces aside. He pulled a smaller, black, box out of the medical kit. Opening it up, he grabbed a single needle and thread. He also took a small bottle out of the box and a roll of bandages.

“Stay still.” Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s hand again, wiping off the blood first. His touch was gentle, tender almost, and Naruto could feel his hands start to sweat. He took a deep breathe as he watched Sasuke work. Sheer concentration had Sasuke biting the corner of his lip while his eyebrows drew together. Sasuke didn’t even notice Naruto blatantly staring at him and Naruto didn’t even notice when Sasuke uncapped the bottle until it was too late.

Naruto yelped when the liquid hit the wound, bubbling and sizzling as it cleaned away bacteria.

“Ow! Bastard!” Naruto tried to tug his hand away but Sasuke kept a firm grip on it, he smirked.

“Stop it, crybaby. I’m almost done.”  
“I’m not crying! At least warn a guy!”  
“Don’t be so stupid then.”

Naruto scrunched up his face, looking up to avoid Sasuke’s smug expression. Sasuke placed a gauze pad on Naruto’s hand then began to wrap it up, careful to apply just the right amount of pressure. He used his teeth to cut the fabric before tying it on the back of Naruto’s hand.

“There…I’m done.” Sasuke crouched down, packing the medical kit away. Picking up the kunai and wiping the blade off before placing it back in the bottom of the bag. Naruto stared at his newly bandaged hand. The work was good, Sasuke was always good at whatever he tried. But something was missing.

Naruto held his hand out expectantly. Sasuke looked at the hand for a moment then to Naruto’s face.

“What.” Sasuke deadpanned.  
“Aren’t you going to kiss it?”

Sasuke turned red, barely able to contain his sputtering, instead masking his embarrassment with annoyance.

“Why would I do that!”

It was Naruto’s turn to be annoyed, he huffed at Sasuke’s attitude.

“To kiss it better, ya know? That’s the only way it’s gonna heal!”

Sasuke looked unsure, shifting his weight before he stood up, slinging the bag over his waist and clipping it shut. He looked to the side, glaring at a small patch of flowers before he finally took Naruto’s hand and kissed the palm.

“There. Now I’m done.”  
“Heh! Thanks!”  
“Whatever, we should catch up to the others.”  
—  
Night fell soon after, the Jonin chaperones setting up small fires for the kids to lay around. Everyone took turns gathering fire wood or helping to cook the food that was provided. The stars overhead shone brightly through the leaves of the trees.

Sasuke slipped further into his sleeping bag. If he looked close enough, he could almost make himself believe that he was back in Fire Country, under the stars of Konoha’s great forests. Sharing the same stars that Itachi and Shisui were surely under. He peeked out over the lip of his sleeping bag. He felt alone then, no clan presence to envelope him. Lull him to sleep with the warmth that came from fire nature chakra. 

He missed his brother. He wasn’t used to sleeping alone. Well, no, that wasn’t true. He could sleep in his own bed, at his own house in his own compound. But even when he couldn’t, he could still creep down the hallway and crawl into Itachi’s bed. Feel the reassuring weight pressed up against his back and the chakra that came with it.

Sasuke tossed and turned but sleep wouldn’t find him. He sat up, bunching the sleeping bag between his fists. His lower lip worrying between his teeth. His sleeping bag was situated further from the fire, and by extension the other children. Naruto was the closest to him, not close enough to make a difference to Sasuke however. He fought with himself before eventually he stood up and dragged his sleeping bag closer, lining it up with Naruto’s so they were side by side. He would just have to make sure to wake up earlier then the blonde idiot.

He settled back into the sleeping bag, now close enough that he could hear Naruto’s steadying breathing and feel the bright, warm, chakra that was coming from him. Sasuke finally started to feel tired, he curled into the warmth. His eyelids feeling heavy, he didn’t fight it and instead let himself drop off into sleep. He did miss his brother, his clan, his home. But if he was with Naruto…Then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.


	2. Chapter 2

Visions of circular light lanced through the pitch black of Sasuke’s dreams. He shielded his eyes as the inverted sun, a stark void save for the outer ring of blinding gold, broke the event horizon. A sudden burst of wind pushed him forward, making him stumble. The current of air swirled around him, drowning out his cry of surprise. There was nothing but muffled darkness, save for the ring of fire that burned ahead.

His eyes widened as he blindly reached out. Desperate for anything to latch onto to escape the pull of gravity, tugging him closer to the brink. He fought to stay away from the edge. Afraid of what would happen if he crossed the precipice. His struggle was in vain as the strength of the wind at his back drove him forward.

He was going to fall, down into the abyss. An all encompassing nothingness. It called to him, to let it consume him, something was down there, writhing around like a great snake.

An unexpected hand shot out from the darkness, gripping his tightly, fingers curling around his own.

A bolt of unparalleled energy shot through their intertwined hands, searing chakra connecting them, making Sasuke flinch, melding them together. Sasuke’s head snapped to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of his savior. He caught the blinding smile first, orange light from the sun catching blue eyes next.

“Sasuke!”  
“Naru–!”

Sasuke’s eyes snapped open, a thin sheen of sweat covered his brow as he bolted up right. His chest heaving from the intensity of the dream. Stars still glimmered overhead, the first light of dawn barely breaking over the trees, a loon cried somewhere in the distance while trees rustled in the breeze. Sasuke surveyed his surroundings, counting the tops of trees and the still sleeping bodies to calm his nerves.

He paused when he felt a weight in his hand, his eyebrows pinched as he turned to the side, looking down. His cheeks flushed scarlet. He had grabbed Naruto’s hand in his sleep, in his dream, and had continued to hold it.

He snatched his hand away, cradling it close close to his chest with his other hand. It tingled, his hand, much like the burn of his cheeks. He gazed down at Naruto’s sleeping face. His eyes softening in fondness. The morning breeze was brisk but he still felt so warm from the body heat they had shared during the night.

The urge to card his fingers through the fluffy tufts of Naruto’s hair, trace the faint whisker marks on his cheeks burned through him. He reached out, fingers hovering over him, ever so slightly.

When Naruto suddenly shifted in his sleep, Sasuke stiffened. Eyes wide and holding his breath. Naruto settled down again, quickly enough, curling the hand Sasuke was previously holding to his face with a smile.

Sasuke closed his eyes, exhaling softly before deciding to remove himself from his sleeping bag. Pulling it away before any one else woke up and saw the youngest Uchiha heir in such a familiar position. 

He carried his sleeping bag a respectable distance away. Feeling too awake to go back to sleep so he decided to pack up. Rolling the sleeping bag tightly and tying the cords together before slipping it back into the shoulder bag. He yawned, stretched and ran a hand over his face. He blinked once, twice. Something didn’t feel right. He stilled before glancing over his shoulder.

Naruto was looking at him curiously, eyebrows drawn together, peeking over the line of his sleeping bag. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest, facing him fully. Naruto, realizing he was caught, simply stuck out his tongue and turned over. Sasuke bristled but it was too early to deal with the dead last.

The sun was breaking fully now, everyone starting to wake up some more drowsy then others. Iruka made his rounds, along with a couple other Jonin. The morning was a buzz of excitement for the day ahead, Sasuke watched passively as the large group reformed to take instructions.  
Iruka stood in front of the group, once again, holding his hand up to get the group’s attention. So that they would settle down.

“Alright alright settle down! We'll be doing chakra exercises today while we walk. This time It’ll be about chakra control. I want everyone to practice channeling their chakra to hold these leaves on your foreheads. We’ll do some more towards the end, like basic tree climbing when we set up camp”

The students groaned in unison, and Iruka shushed them and handed out leaves to each student.

“Now, We're in neutral territory. So can anyone tell me what that means?”

Sakura's hand shot up and Iruka glanced over everyone else, who was not meeting his eyes.

“Anyone besides Sakura, no? Okay Naruto! What does neutral territory mean?”

Naruto's head snapped up and he sputtered, thinking hard, he put his bandaged hand behind his head, looking up as if the answer was written in the clouds above.

“It's umm it's! Uhh when...uhh…”

Iruka sighed.

"Sasuke, can you help Naruto?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and scoffed, some son of the Hokage Naruto was.

“This land isn't technically owned by any of the great nations, shinobi and travelers are free to come and go without express permission.”

Sasuke, without missing a beat, turned to Naruto.

“Dumbass.”  
“Hey! How the hell was I supposed to know that! Jerk! Bastar--”

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled, clapping his hands together, Naruto folded his arms and huffed.

“Sasuke's right, since this is neutral territory we shouldn't run into other shinobi, maybe the occasional traveler, however I want everyone to pay attention. That brings me to my next point! Everyone pair up, we'll use the buddy system.”

Everyone started to scramble to grab a hold of their friends, a couple of the girls glanced at Sasuke and Naruto jumped at the opportunity to grab Sasuke's hand and hold it up.

“Dibs!!” Naruto grinned brightly and the girls scowled at him, sneering.

Sasuke's eyes snapped towards their hands, Naruto's bandaged one curled over his in a firm lock. Half expecting a jolt of chakra to course through him, he snatched his hand back after a moment.

“Don't be so familiar, idiot.” Sasuke muttered but he was looking away from Naruto's face, his bangs falling to shield his expression. A small part of him wouldn't admit that a bigger part of him wanted to be Naruto's first choice in everything. Just like how, in a questionable turn of events, Naruto was always at the forefront of his mind.

“Hey!-” Naruto spun around cheeks red with embarrassment, Iruka quickly cut Naruto off before the situation could escalate.

“Okay, everyone got their partners? you'll be responsible for them during the trip, keep that in mind. Now, channel your chakra and keep the leaf on your forehead, let's move.”

Sasuke turned the leaf over in his fingers, the green light radiating a halo around the leaf due to the morning sun. He closed his eyes and conjured his chakra, willing it to surge along the chakra pathways in the direction of his forehead.

It was an easy feat, he practiced this with his brother and Shisui on multiple occasions, or so he thought.

Sasuke and Naruto walked shoulder to shoulder as all the other kids, some more reluctant then others, paired off.

Sasuke wasn't a sensor, not by any stretch of the imagination. But the chakra radiating off Naruto in waves was enough to break his disciplined concentration. It was difficult to maintain focus when that bright, warm, chakra lapped up against his consciousness. 

He squeezed his eyes shut concentrating on his chakra, trying to tap into the candlelight glow of his own. He forced more chakra into the leaf, feeling the candle roar into an inferno. But it was becoming a struggle, the leaf slipping as Naruto's chakra leaked into senses.

Sasuke chanced a peek at Naruto. His face screwed up and his hands in a tight seal to focus his chakra, sweat forming in small droplets on his forehead. Naruto was awful at chakra control, even though his mother was hailed as a genius at it. He was having an even harder time then Sasuke at keeping the quivering leaf attached.

“Come on come on!” Naruto muttered, channeling more and more chakra to the leaf, it broke Sasuke's concentration entirely when Naruto stopped to focus his overwhelming wealth of chakra to the dainty plant.

Sasuke's leaf fluttered down, tickling his nose as it went, ghosting over his lips and chin. He didn't bother to catch it. He just stood, transfixed. Naruto's chakra was so bright, so warm it consumed him. He felt so small under it, so overwhelmed.

He could almost see it manifesting as an orangey glow, haloing Naruto's skin. He thought back to the leaf and briefly compared Naruto to the sun. So bright it made him squint.

The leaf fell anyways.

“Dammit!!” Naruto cursed, falling on his ass.

“Huh?” Naruto picked up his leaf, it had a small tear in it, then he noticed the other leaf at Sasuke's feet. He snatched that one up too. It had singed near the edges.

“What...the..?”

Sasuke shook himself free of his stupor.

“Get up, we're falling behind.” Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, looking pointedly in the direction of the group that had moved on without them. Sakura and Ino at the front, trailing closely behind the Jonin.

“Get up, or I'll leave you.” Sasuke nudged Naruto's leg with his foot insistently.

Naruto shot him a glare but quickly rose to the bait, Sasuke returned the glare with a smirk.

“Come on, deadlast, you're as bad as Obito.”  
“Am not! Besides your cousin is cool!”  
“He's not my cousin.”  
“But he sai-”  
“We're not related.”

Naruto scowled, sticking the leaf back to his forehead and holding out the other to Sasuke.

"Hey bastard! Last one to catch up is the real deadlast!"  
“You're on.”

Sasuke snatched the leaf back and channeled chakra to both his forehead and feet, taking off ahead of Naruto who let out a yell and gave chase.

Naruto’s yell made the group pause for them. Iruka with one hand on his hips and the other pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. A group of three men passed the academy group, making their way slowly down the path, toward Sasuke and Naruto. The boys didn’t pay any mind as they vied for first place. Naruto slamming into the shortest man, who staggered back but didn’t fall. Naruto fell back from the force of being stopped, landing on his ass. His face scrunched up.

“O-Oh! uh! sorry!” Naruto grinned up at the man, laughing sheepishly.  
“No harm no foul, kid. Don’t worry about it.”

Sasuke had stopped a few paces ahead of Naruto, his eyes trained on the strangers before focusing on Naruto. He walked up to him and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him up, all the while keeping a sharp eye on the three men in front of him. Sasuke had inherited his father’s suspicious nature.

“Idiot.”  
“What! I’m not an idiot he came out of nowhere!”

The two began to bicker as they walked back to the academy group. But one of the men tracked Sasuke with careful eyes and a quirk of the lips. The other Jonin chaperones gave the men an assessing one over, concluding there was no threat from the travelers. Iruka lectured Naruto and Sasuke when they had finally caught up.  
\---  
The campfire cast long shadows over the sleeping children and Sasuke watched, from under his eyelashes, the shapes that danced along the treeline. He had once again moved his sleeping bag to settle next to Naruto. Aching for the comfort of familiar chakra. Sasuke shifts to curl into the warmth, lulled to sleep by Naruto's steady breathing.

He’s woken, a couple hours later, by a tingling in his lower stomach. The pressure mounts too strong to ignore and he sits up, annoyed. He won't be able to go back to sleep like this, it’s too uncomfortable. He stretches and wills himself to sit up, looking around for a suitable spot to relieve himself. Being so close to the group isn’t appealing.

He rolled to the side and up onto the balls of his feet, steadying himself with his arms. He slips into his sandals and takes a couple of steps, grabs the hip box and clips it to his waist, drawing the kunai. He walks past the tree line, opting to go deeper into the woods. 

He marks every two trees so he’ll be able to find his way back quickly; Shisui taught him that when he took Itachi and camping in the great forests of fire country.

He goes until he can't see the light of the campsite and finds a suitable tree. He zips up and starts to head back when a branch snaps a few feet in front of him.

It's one of the Jonin chaperones, hands on their hips and a gentle lopsided smile on their face.

“Hey, you can't be wandering off alone like that, come on I'll take you back.”

Sasuke suddenly feels embarrassed, he sheepishly nods and trots after the Jonin. But stops when the older ninja takes a left inside of a right, not noticing the notch in the tree from Sasuke's kunai.

The Jonin looks over his shoulder to Sasuke, whose standing still among the darkness of the forest and chirp of crickets.

“Huh? Why'd you stop, come on.”  
“You're going the wrong way. The camp is the other way...”

Sasuke takes a step back and to the right, preparing to run, gripping the kunai tightly behind his thigh.

“You must be turned around, that happens, I know where I'm going. Don't be silly.” The Jonin advances towards him a step.

“Who are you. Stay back.” Sasuke draws the kunai up in front of him, point tipped to the other ninja threateningly.

“Kids shouldn't have weapons if they don't know how to use them.” The Jonin hisses under his breath, weaving a single handed seal.

“You should've just came quietly.”

A clone forms behind Sasuke, who pivots around driving the kunai into the sternum of the clone. The clone dissipates with a 'poof'. The ninja seethed as his clone merged back with him, the sting of the kunai a phantom pain.

Sasuke staggers back, forming signs for his clans signature fire ball technique, the flame erupting past his lips in a flower pattern. The ninja reels back, barely dodging the embers.

Through the smoke Sasuke doesn't see the knee that connects to his solar plexus, sending him spiraling to the ground in a heaving, choking, pile. He curls into himself, holding his abdomen with a pained whimper. Gasping to draw air into his sunken chest. Slipping the kunai into his pocket unnoticed.

"Jiro, you can't even manage to subdue a child? Pitiful."  
"I had it under control, Seiken."

Seiken scoffed, gripping Sasuke by the collar of his shirt and hoisting the child off the ground, throwing Sasuke over his shoulder like a prized kill. Jiro drops the transformation technique, reverting back to his original self. He rolls his shoulder in a languid stretch.

“Useless. Heiseiki would be furious to know an Uchiha escaped out from under us.”  
“Yeah, yeah, we caught him right?”  
“I caught him.”  
“Same shit. Let's go. Heiseiki’s waiting.”

Sasuke recovered quickly while the pair walked, he elbowed Seiken in the temple, squirming to get fee. The big man dropped him with a hiss. But before Sasuke could get up Seiken delivered a punishing kick to his ribs.

"Little bastard!" Seiken roared, twisting Sasuke's arms behind his back and shoving his face in the dirt.

“Give me the rope and a blind fold.”  
“Blind fold? what for? Kid's not even a genin.”  
“Idiot! Do you think the bloodline cares whether an Uchiha has a rank? The Sharingan can manifest at any time.”

Sasuke’s muffled yell escaped as a gag was shoved into his mouth, his arms bound and a blind fold tied tightly around his eyes. Sasuke panicked, kicking and thrashing before a punch to the gut silenced him. Sasuke gurgled helplessly as Seiken, once again, threw him over his shoulder.  
\---  
Naruto shot up into a sitting position, a chill running the length of his spine. Something wasn't right.

“Hey...Sasuke?….Are you awake?" Naruto whispered, glancing beside him only to find an empty sleeping bag. Naruto scrambled to his feet, throwing the blankets of the sleeping bag back. It was truly empty. He looked around, half frantic. The hip box was also missing. Sasuke wasn't in the camp anymore. A sick feeling settled in his stomach.

He tugged on his sandals and dashed into the woods. He spied the notches in the tree and followed them deeper. Something deep inside him urging him forward. His heart pounding in his ears and overwhelming dread bubbling up from inside. He needed to find Sasuke. He needed to find him before something bad happened to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things start picking up in his chapter!

“There's crows in lightening country?"  
"There's crows everywhere."  
"It's creepy."  
"Jiro, crows are creepy, shut up."

Chise shifted on the high branches above, hidden among his brethren, watching the pair intensely and moving soundlessly with the wind. He needed to gain more information for Shisui, if they were to recover Sasuke in time.

"Let's stop here, I need to consult the map."  
"Yeah, sure. Put the kid over here."

Seiken dropped Sasuke unceremoniously onto the dirt, his back hitting the tree with an audible thump. 

Sasuke's heart was beating in his ears as he fought to remain calm. Panic churning in his gut and crawling into his throat. He was far from home, far from his clan, his brother and safety.

He heard the stories, he knew what would happen to him. Bloodline thieves were bounty hunters that only swore loyalty to the highest bidder. Snatching clan children in the dark and spiriting them away to hell.

He's heard tales of his clansmen killing themselves before the secrets of their bloodline could be stripped from them. The others that had managed to come back however…He shuddered at the thought. He wondered if he would have to do the same. Would he have the guts to do it or would he be a coward and betray everyone he loved with his selfish desire to live.

He would be counted among the Lost Ones, Uchiha who never made it home. It would break his families heart. Like it’s breaking his now, he’ll never go home again.

He could feel heat, hot tears, rapidly forming in his eyes. His small shoulders shook as he fought to compose himself. He was an Uchiha, one of the clan heirs, he had to be strong. There was no room for weakness.

"The intel was surprisingly accurate."  
"What did you expect from someone of our employers status?"  
"From that old man with the bandages? Something far worse then this."

Seiken chuckled, he was also expecting something much worse. But it had gone smoothly enough.

"We have a couple hours to get to the checkpoint. Heiseiki should be receiving the message shortly."

The two talked among themselves, Seiken looking over the map. Tracking their position and determining the best route to their checkpoint and Jiro started taking out ration bars, to keep up their energy for the long trek.  
\---  
Naruto panted as he arrived on the scene of the earlier scuffle, noting the scorch marks on the surrounding foliage and the sure signs of a struggle.

Someone had taken Sasuke. His chest felt tight as he considered his options, he could go back get Iruka Sensei and the other Jonin or go himself. It may be too late by the time he goes back.

His fists tightened at his sides, he didn't have any time to waste. He needed to go after Sasuke right then. He made up his mind and followed the path of cracked twigs and disturbed leaves. He'll think of a plan as he goes.

It took him another half hour to catch up, he wasn't as far behind as he thought. He stayed to the shadows of the trees and kept as quiet as he could.

He spotted them. His eyes widened as he recognized the two men standing a considerable distance from Sasuke, the travelers from earlier. The small one he had ran into and the bigger man who was with him. Wasn't there a third person too? Well, if there was, he isn't here now.

Naruto formed a clone, a shadow clone he had learned to make when he was snooping through the forbidden section of the Hokage tower. It payed to be the Hokage's son, sometimes.

He had the clone go the long way around as he climbed into a tree, a branch broke underfoot as he neared the top.

Seiken and Jiro snapped their gaze upward at the distrubance.

"Huh, what the fuck's that?"  
"A... child?"

Sasuke straightened up, there was no way. He felt someone behind him and flinched away when they touched the blind fold, untying it quickly.

"Sasuke! It's just me, hold on I'm gonna get you out." The clone whispered as it fumbled with the rope on Sasuke's arms.

"Naruto? How did you...?"  
"I just got a feeling, hehe, didn't think you'd let yourself get kidnapped. You're like a princess, I guess that makes me the knight!"  
"Shut up. Get the kunai out of my pocket, you're going too slow!"  
"Ugh! I'm helping you and you still gotta act like a bastard!"

The clone slipped his hand into Sasuke's pocket, gripping the kunai and pulling it out. Sasuke was surprised at the fact Naruto had the brains to be so subtle.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO HAS ARRIVED!" The real Naruto shouted from the treetops.

Chise took Naruto’s arrival as his cue to leave. Now that the Leaf’s Jinchuuriki was involved the situation had become more unfavorable. The abduction of two of the Leaf’s most prominent heirs could very well have devastating consequences for all touched by the situation. He needed to make it back to Shisui and quickly.

"You guys Better watch out! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Idiot!" Sasuke threw his head back, shrugging the rope off and standing, snatching the kunai away from the clone.

"Get the Uchiha! I'll take care of this brat!"

"Multi shadow clone jutsu!" A barrage of clones came into existence, lining the tree and surrounding the kidnappers. He really was Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja, Sasuke thought as he marveled at the quantity of clones. 

Jiro made his way to Sasuke, battling the clones as he went with a few choice words.

Seiken threw shuriken and kunai to disperse most of the clones as the onslaught attacked. What Naruto lacked in combat experience he was making up in sheer numbers.

It was chaos, jutsu and the sound of clones dissipating in the dark. Bright flashes of weaponry catching the moon's light as Seiken struggled to keep up with the amount of clones Naruto produced.

"Sasuke! Over here!" Naruto shouted a few feet from Sasuke, his hand outstretched. Sasuke ran for it, shoving the clones out of the way and managing to dodge the kunai being thrown haphazardly.

"No you don't!" Jiro lunged at Sasuke, Seiken had been overwhelmed by the clones and couldn't break free of them.

Sasuke spun around and drove his kunai into Jiro's shoulder, putting all his weight behind it. The kunai severed tendons and clipped bone as it sunk into Jiro's flesh.

Jiro let out a wild shriek, grabbing Sasuke by the back of his shirt and dragging him backwards. Ripping the kunai out of his shoulder as he stumbled forward, he slashed in a wide arc. 

Bringing the kunai down across the back of Sasuke's calf, dropping the kunai in the process.

"SASUKE!!"

Time seemed to slow as Sasuke's knees hit the dirt. Blood rushing out of the wound in a heavy stream. Sasuke's pained scream was drowned out by Jiro's maniacal laughter as he drew himself over the boy.

Sasuke was pale, trembling as he fought Jiro back, he grabbed the kunai to defend himself but it was slapped away, cutting his cheek as it flew behind his head.

Sasuke was hurt, badly. His paling form quickly losing strength as he fought to get away.

"D-don't touch him...! D-don't touch him!" Naruto choked out as the blood began to pool beneath Sasuke. He wasn't going to make it, the thought gripped Naruto and froze him in place. Naruto's blunt nails cut crescents into his palms as the world seemed to drop out under him. He was no match, he was too weak.

They were going to die here, the clones merging with Naruto with each one cut down by Seikens strength.

Why wasn't he strong enough? Angry tears welled up in his eyes threatening to spill over. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Sasuke shouted. It was something like a plea.

"Don't..."  
"Don't you..."

Naruto felt something crack, snap, deep within him. Like the first fissure in a great damn threatening to break. Everything was red, red like the blood Sasuke was losing.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Naruto roared, Jiro flinched back when a wave of chakra collided with him.

"What the fu--"

Jiro didn't have time to react as Naruto barreled towards him, throwing all his weight into a shoulder check and sending Jiro spiraling into a tree. The tree snapped in half on impact and 

Naruto snarled, teeth too large for his mouth on display. A cloak of red chakra enveloping him as killing intent saturated the forest.

"Na-naruto...?" Sasuke's voice was small, tired, as he looked up at Naruto.

Naruto's attention snapped down to Sasuke and for the briefest moment, there was no recognition in those slit pupils. Sasuke swallows and Naruto follows the motion with his eyes before he blinks in confusion. His eyes flickering back to blue.

"S-sasuke!" Naruto pulls Sasuke up, one arm around his waist and the other pulling Sasuke's arm over his shoulder.

"We have to run!"

Sasuke just nods, his eyes quickly losing focus as he struggles to channel chakra to his weak legs, forcing them to work.

"M-my clones will hold them off!"

Naruto half drags Sasuke into the forest. Sasuke's body begins to sag against Naruto as he slips unconscious. The strain of the wound he sustained too much for his small body.  
—  
Iruka shot up from his sleeping when he felt the grisly chakra of the nine tail, seep into the camp to hang heavy in the air. A layer of sweat coated his brow as his chest heaved, there was no way. The seal had weakened. 

The other Jonin converged on him, no doubt feeling the same effect of the malicious chakra.

"He's not in his sleeping bag."  
"Uchiha Sasuke is also gone."

"Fuck!" Iruka cursed, rapidly forming a plan. They enlisted the help of the Hyuuga chuunin, sent to guard Hinata.

They arrived on the scene of total chaos, a fully grown tree snapped in half with the unconscious body of what they assumed to be one of the kidnappers close by. The other was tied up and dangling by his own rope. Weapons lay scattered over the vicinity. But there was no sign of Naruto nor Sasuke here. They hadn’t been for a long time.

"Detain them, see what we can get out of them about Naruto and Sasuke's whereabouts!"  
—  
Naruto ran for hours, through the sprawling dark of the forest, he passed a clearing and kept going. Shooting out of the trees as an orange blur. Still carry Sasuke, haphazardly, by the waist. One arm of the unconscious boy slung around his neck, Naruto held onto his wrist.

Naruto couldn't see in front of him as he kept moving coming to a halt when a voice, resonating deep inside him shouted to halt. Naruto stopped abruptly, chest heaving and panting hard, he looked around for the voice. Placing Sasuke on the ground and drawing the single kunai they shared between them up to his chest defensively, he had to protect Sasuke. No one was going to take him away. 

Only the whistle of the wind greeted him, the forest empty. 

He turned back to find himself standing on the precipice of the mountain face as the dawn peeked over the other side of the ridge. The valley below. He shuddered as the wind tousled his hair, he turned his attention to Sasuke and dropped to his knees to inspect his friend. His eyes followed the length of Sasuke's paling face, sweat plastering his hair to his temples; the beginning of a fever. Naruto looked at Sasuke's leg, the long laceration from the enemy's last attack. The kunai had cut smooth, deep, into the meat of his calf. He swallowed hard, tears stung his eyes, cursing.

"D-dammit dammit dammit." Naruto unclipped the hip box from sasuke's waist and began rifling through it, determined to find the medical supplies Sasuke had used earlier. He opened the box and set the supplies aside. He had to stitch the wound shut, but there was so much blood in the way, he began wiping it down with the antiseptic towels. 

He found the needle and thread, also the medical manual. His hands shook as he tried to thread the eye of the needle, eyes blurring with tears. His face crumpled and he brought his palms to his face, wiping the snot and tears away.

"I gotta do this! I gotta! P-pull yourself together!" Naruto smacked his cheeks a couple times to calm down, to focus. He narrowed his eyes as he sniffled and set to work. Stitching the meat of Sasuke's leg back together, he wrapped it in the medical gauze and bandages, pulling tightly to secure it. He kissed the wound, like his mother had taught him to "kiss it better , ya know?" He peppered an array of kisses the full length of the wound, silently praying it would make a difference. He smoothed the damp hair away from Sasuke's face, he was burning up. Naruto searched in the kit for anything to combat the heat. He found it, some tablets of fever reducer and pain killers. He took one each and nudged it between Sasuke's lips.

"C-come on! C-come on eat them!" It was no use, Sasuke couldn't do it on his own. Naruto mulled over his options, biting his finger nails and lips.

"I'm.um, I'm sort of glad you're out for this part..." Naruto gave a nervous laugh.

"but you better wake up soon...you better!"Naruto popped the pills in his mouth to grind them up, grimacing at the bitter taste, nose scrunched up and eyes squeezed shut.When he was satisfied by the consistency of spit and crushed pills he leaned over Sasuke. Naruto struggled with himself for a moment but the need to survive outweighed his discomfort, at least no one would be around to see him kiss Sasuke. His first kiss. Maybe it was Sasuke’s first kiss too, the thought flashed across his mind before he shook his head to concentrate on the task at hand.

He pressed their mouths together and transferred all the contents. It was a good plan, in his mind. Not his best. But it was a plan all the same, Sasuke swallowed subconsciously, his body working against the foreign substance.

Naruto felt better now the sun was rising. But the air on top of the mountain was chilly and Sasuke began to shiver small tremors making his teeth chatter. Naruto, overheated from running, shrugged off his jacket. Putting the hip box under Sasuke's head like a pillow he draped his jacket over the both of them. Laying next to Sasuke's side, he sniffled as he got comfortable, it was hard to be strong when you were alone.But he was so tired now, a couple of hours wouldn't hurt.  
—  
Dawn was barely breaking when Shisui felt his stomach lurch at the outline of a crow barreling towards him. He held out his hand and Chise landed on it, finding purchase on Shisui's knuckles.

"What's happened?" Shisui's voice was level, calm and concise. There's no use in panicking, it wouldn't serve him well.

"Uchiha Shisui, the fledgling has been captured by bloodline thieves. The incident occurred over 9 hours ago. His whereabouts remain unknown. Before I departed the leaf's jinchuuriki had arrived on the scene. A scuffle surely ensued."

"Uzumaki Naruto.... he's missing too?"  
"Whereabouts are indeterminable."  
"Thank you, Chise. You're dismissed."

The bird gave a curt bow before erupting into flames. Shisui's jaw tightened, it was a race against time and he was already behind. 

He needed to find Itachi.  
\---  
Itachi was preparing for a mission, a simple B rank, hardly worth his time. But he was requested specifically by the client, it would take his mind off his growing concerns. He sheathed his sword over his shoulder with a sigh. He didn’t want to leave Konoha, not now. Not until his brother was with him again, safe within the walls of the Uchiha compound.

He didn't feel right, something was clawing at the edge of his consciousness, it made him restless and agitated. Something was off. The world had a suspicious tilt to it. His fears were confirmed when Shisui appeared in the window frame, concern etched in his dark eyes. Fingers gripping the siding so tightly his knuckles were white against the dark lacquer.

Shisui looked at him before looking to the side, briefly, then back again.

The message was resounding, no words passed between the two. A single look conveying a whole conversation.

Itachi felt the world drop out from under his feet, his heart surged up to sit uncomfortably in his throat. He tried to swallow his mounting anxiety but it was caught, wedged, firmly between the lump in his throat. The sharingan bleeding into his eyes. His fists tightened by his thighs but otherwise his face remained the mask of neutrality.

"We need Obito." Shisui broke the silence and Itachi nodded. Shisui stepped into the room and placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder, giving a light squeeze for comfort before they both blinked out of existence.  
—  
They found Obito not ten minutes later, in the company of Kakashi at a dango shop. Obito was animatedly waving the dango stick around while telling a story. Kakashi was listening, halfheartedly, with a disinterested expression, one hand tucked under his chin as he nodded along at the correct moment.

He was the first to notice Shisui and Itachi as they approached, he tapped Obito on the arm to get his attention before pointing in the direction of the two hard faced Uchiha rapidly approaching them.

"Obito, we need you to take us to the field trip site, now." Shisui was the one who spoke first, his mouth pulled into a hard line. No friendly banter or familiar smile to predate his request.

Obito scrunched up his face at Shisui’s sudden, nearly intense, demand. He was never one to back down or give in so easily. Obviously displeased at the pair disturbing his down time.

"Not even a hi cousin, how's your day, how are you, Seriously? Jeez, It's barely been two days." Obito took a dango into his mouth, chewing as he spoke, pointing the stick at Itachi.

"Itachi, you need to let your brother breathe. He’s never gonna grow if you keep babying him all the time."

"Sasuke's been kidnapped by bloodline thieves. Naruto is with him." Itachi stated coldly, his eyes hard as he stared Obito down.

Obito choked on the dango, wheezing as he grabbed his throat. Kakashi hit him on the back with a loud resounding slap, putting more power behind the hit then he should have. Obito lurch forward, his abdomen hitting the edge of the table. He spit out the sweet. It landed at Shisui and Itachi’s feet, the pair remained impartial as Obito continued to cough. Obito glared at Kakashi, who merely shrugged with a nonchalant wave of his hand, before he abruptly stood up slamming his hands on the table and making the small dish of sweets rattle.

“Fuck! I told him to be careful!” Obito ran a gloved hand through his hair. His little cousin was missing, taken by people who intended to do Sage know’s what with him…or to him.  
“We gotta go now! Kakashi?"

Kakashi stood up to follow Obito to Shisui and Itachi. Knowing that he also carried the Uchiha’s bloodline limit with him, he had just as much stake in this situation as Obito and Shisui. He took his duties, responsibilities and honorary name sake incredibly seriously. Whoever did this, would surely regret it.

"Right."

Obito and Kakashi put a hand on Shisui and Itachi, respectively. Before activating Kamui. 

All four dissipating into a swirl of space time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Uchiha's + Kakashi are officially IN! some of the headcanons are clearer then others but there'll definitely be more in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Sasuke's eyes fluttered before he slowly woke. His mind static, hazy, as the wind of the mountain swirled around him. He sat up carefully taking stock of his surroundings, Naruto’s jacket slipping off him to pool in his lap.  
He was alone.

Sasuke swallowed, a bitter film sticking to the back of his throat. Panic started to mount in his chest.

"Naruto...?" He called softly, the sharp pain in his leg now a dull throb.

No answer.

"Naruto...!" He called again, louder this time, the dread made its way up his spine, only the chill of the mountain breeze responded. His fists clenching the fabric in his lap, pulling it closer to himself, an act of self soothing.

"N-Naruto?!" He shouted, full blown panic seizing his lungs as he frantically looked around. First to the gaping mouth of the ridge then to the treeline. He tried to stand, scrambling up but finding no purchase on his weak limbs.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's voice echoed from the forest, just out of sight. It was close and Sasuke felt a pang of relief. He would feel better if he could see him. Sasuke leaned forward, hands still clutching the jacket as he strained to make out Naruto’s rapidly approaching figure.

"You woke up! Finally! You had me...kind of worried." Naruto wasn't far away, walking back from the line of trees, zipping up his shorts.

"Where...where are we?" Sasuke settled down, he let out a sigh of relief to see Naruto running back to him. He leaned back, bracing his weight against his hands to prop him up.

Naruto shrugged.

"Iunno...I just kept running, I wasn't paying attention."

"You weren't paying attention to where you were going?!" Sasuke hissed, suddenly frustrated by Naruto’s lack of common sense. What was he thinking, just bolting off into the dark, a random direction, where did he think they would end up?!

"I was paying attention to getting away when you dropped dead!!" Naruto shouted back. His whole body trembling as he yelled.

"It wasn't like you were any help!!"

Sasuke gave him a confused stare, his eyebrows pinched together as he worried his lower lip between his teeth. Trying to remember the events from last night. He was ambushed, kidnapped, Naruto came to his rescue, he got hurt then...they were running and everything went dark.

Sasuke huffed and looked away, not ready to apologize just yet. He flushed, embarrassed. 

Not only had Naruto saved him once...

"I fixed your leg." Naruto’s voice was softer. But still tense like he would snap at Sasuke again at any moment.

Sasuke removed the jacket from his lap, pulling his leg up to inspect the bandages.

"You...fixed it..?" Sasuke asked, softly this time. Feeling guilty he snapped at Naruto for just trying to get them to safety, for helping him.

...But twice.

"I stitched it up like in the manual, like you did to my hand earlier." Naruto held up his palm, the wrapping still holding tight.

"Thanks..." Sasuke looked to the side, over the edge of the cliff and into the plunging depths of the valley.

"How long was I out?"

"Iunno, a couple hours?" Naruto shifted his weight from one foot to the other uneasy at Sasuke's sudden subduedness.

"We should start to move."  
"What?! No way! My mom says if you're lost then to stay put!"  
"Your mom isn't here, if you haven't noticed! And if they catch up to us then we really will be dead..." Sasuke struggled to stand, the pain radiating out from the wound. He winced as he wobbled. 

"We have to make it down, cross the valley, get to where our class will be."

Naruto ran and caught him by the side.

"You can't even stand, how're we gonna get down!"

"I'll figure it out! Let go, I'm not a girl! let go! I can stand by myself!" Sasuke pushed against Naruto's side. Naruto didn’t budge, at first, as Sasuke kept shoving against his side. But after a few seconds of struggling Naruto scrunched up his face, snatching his hands away and let Sasuke wobble again. 

This time he dropped with a glare. Naruto looked smug, a grin spreading across his face as he put his hands on his hips and leaned down. Sasuke resisted the urge to snarl.

"You're 'standing' looks a lot like falling on your ass."  
"Shut up."

Looking for a distraction, Sasuke began rifling through the pack again, eyebrows pinched together and scowling. His fingers curled over a roll of ninja wire and his face lit up.

He had an idea.

"Take the other end of this and tie it to the tree over there." Sasuke handed Naruto the roll of wire.

"Why?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. Turning the wire over in his hand as he tried to figure out just what Sasuke was planning.

"Just do it!" Sasuke snapped.

"Stop bossing me around! You're not in charge!"  
"I’m older then you."  
"Only by like a month!"  
"3 months."

"Ugh!" Naruto stomped his foot, pulling a face. His lip curled back, he relented.

"Fine!" He shouted.

"Stupid Sasuke, thinks he's so mature, it's only 3 months! He can't even stand... bastard." Naruto grumbled as He ran to a tree on the edge of the forest line. Jumping to a branch and looping the wire around several times. Tying the end off, he tugged on it tightly make sure it was secure.

Sasuke threaded his end of the wire through the hole of his kunai, he gazed down upon it. The kunai heavy in his small hands. He can feel the full weight of it now. It seems so much heavier then before. 

He bites the inside of his lip as his thumb traces the clan crest branded into the handle. This kunai had saved their lives. Shisui really does give the best gifts. 

What if he never sees him again, to thank him? What if he never sees his brother again?

It dawned on him, the very real possibility, that they wouldn't make it home. His lip trembles as he bites it harder, his small chest heaving, blinking back tears and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

No.

No. He will make it back. 

He will see them again. He looks up at the sun, broken full over the ridge, the sunlight hitting him full force and making him squint.

If, no, when he makes it back, he promises, the Uchiha patron goddess, Amaterasu he will hug his brother tight, Shisui too. 

He promises, albeit reluctantly, if she pulls him through this, he'll even hug dumpster fire cousin Obito.

His grip tightens on the kunai, flooded with determination as he stands. He rears back and throws the kunai down into the valley with such force it punctures the ground, sinking deep.

Sasuke's eyes widen as he smiles.

Yes! It worked!

He quickly picks up his pack and straps it to his waist calling Naruto over to join him. He picks up the discarded jacket and lays it atop the taut line, giving a few pulls to test the strength.

"What're we gonna do with that?" Naruto comes to stand next to him.

"Here, hold the sleeves."

"Uh, okay...?" 

Naruto holds onto the sleeves of the jacket, eyes narrowed at the ground.

"Sasuke?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Now what?"  
"Jump."

Naruto sputters in disbelief, maybe Sasuke also hit his head. Oh Sage he wasn't prepared to treat a concussion. 

He didn't even know what that was!

"What!" Naruto squawks.

"Hell no! Are you out of your mind?!"

Sasuke growled in annoyance, gritting his teeth. Naruto could be such a baby sometimes. They were going to be shinobi! He didn't have time to talk Naruto into this, not when they really needed to get going.

Sasuke took a few steps behind Naruto, running and throwing his arms around him, face pushed up against Naruto's shoulder blades.

Launching them off the cliff.

Naruto momentarily let go, eyes wide before he instinctively tightened his hold on the sleeves. He winced as he felt his palm sting from the intensity of his grip and the tug of downward force.

He yelled all the way down.

Sasuke was quiet, sliding down to hold Naruto by the waist and judging the distance to the ground. He let go of Naruto 2/3rds of the way, tucking and rolling, pivoting his body and driving himself back to his feet. 

He ran a couple feet in front to catch Naruto. Breaking an otherwise rough landing, there wouldn't have been another way for Naruto to slow down on his own.

Naruto slammed into him. 

The boys collided in a tangle of limbs, tumbling a few yards, Naruto landing on Sasuke, palms planted on the ground on either side of Sasuke's head. Sasuke groaned, fingers curled up by his ears. He looked up into Naruto's face. He looked pissed. Sasuke blinked owlishly up at him. 

"Are you stupid?!" Naruto shouted, just inches from his face. 

Sasuke was caught off guard, his hair splayed around his head like a dark halo, dazed. Before he snapped back.

"It wasn't that ba--"  
"You could've hurt your leg! Let me look!" Naruto pushed himself off Sasuke, grabbing his leg by the ankle and turning it over, dragging Sasuke to him. Sasuke’s shirt and shorts riding up a couple inches, the soft grass tickling his bare skin.

Naruto huffed angrily as he inspected Sasuke’s, now reopened, injury.

"You're bleeding." Sasuke whispered.

"No YOU'RE bleeding!" Naruto yelled, unable to regulate concern and anger.

"We're both bleeding." Sasuke deadpanned.

"What?"  
"Your hand...it must have...on the way down." Sasuke pointed out, staring intently at Naruto's bandaged hand.

The bandages on Naruto's palm were rapidly tinting pink then red.

"Let me fix it."  
"I have to rewrap your leg."

Naruto started undoing the wrappings on Sasuke's leg, the blood oozing from the bandages in a thick mess, mixing with the blood on Naruto's own hand and making his grip slick.

Droplets of their blood mixed and seeped into the earth together. 

The ground greedily taking its share of the offering.

"You can't with your hand like that! Just give it to me!" Sasuke held out his hand, jutting it towards Naruto, demanding.

"Ugh!" Naruto finally let go of Sasuke's leg and allowed him to repatch the cut.

Sasuke worked quietly, the medical box now between them and Sasuke nearly in Naruto's lap, as Naruto refused to let Sasuke bring his leg all the way down. So it was propped up on his thighs.

"There...I'm done." Sasuke inspected his work and Naruto looked at him expectedly. 

Sasuke tentatively leaned down and kissed his palm, again, like he had done the first time. A jolt ran from the base of Naruto's neck to his toes. Sasuke's cheeks and the tips of his ears tinted pink and he rolled his eyes.

Naruto smiled brightly and got to work on rewrapping Sasuke's leg.

"The stitches didn't come out...so it should be fine like this." 

Naruto cut the end with his teeth and placed a kiss just above where the stitches would be.

"You're mom really does that, every time?"  
"Duh, doesn't your mom kiss you?"  
"Of course she does!...at bed time."

Naruto looked at him horrified.

"Only at bedtime?! My mom kisses me goodbye, hello, when she misses me, when I come home, when I get hurt, when I'm happy, when I'm sad!"

Sasuke suddenly felt self conscious. His parents were affectionate, the whole clan was. But kissing so often...wasn't that only for married people or people in love?

"You're family is weird." Is what Sasuke settled on, folding his arms.

Naruto blew him a raspberry and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Let's get moving."

Naruto's stomach growled, loudly, protesting such a feat.

"But I'm sooo hungry." Naruto whined, throwing his head back dramatically. 

Sasuke had a witty retort ready when his stomach growled too, he put a hand on it and narrowed his eyes, traitorous little thing it was.

Sasuke went back to the pack, maybe there was something in there that could help them. They hadn't been let down so far. It was worth a shot. 

He pulled out the four scrolls. Looking at the small naming seals on the front of them above the string tie.

"Breakfast"  
"Lunch"  
"Dinner"  
"Water"

"No way!" Naruto yelled, snatching the scroll labeled lunch from the pile.

"How...do we open it?" Naruto turned it around in his hands, squinting at it.

"We have to push chakra into the seal, here give it to me."

Naruto handed it over and Sasuke opened the scroll, rolling it out. A weeks worth of seals greeted them in bold black ink.

"Let me help!"  
"Fine, here, we have to do it together, okay?"  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, on 3."

"1." Naruto and Sasuke both put a hand on the selected seal.

"2." They gathered chakra, Sasuke could feel it filling up his coils, like he was about to release a katon. To Naruto it was like the swirl of a great wind building upon itself.

"3!" They both pushed their chakra into the seal at the same time, the seal took its fill and lit up. A loud puff and some smoke later, they were greeted with sandwiches, fruit and nuts.

"Yes! Yes!" Naruto whooped as he jumped up and down.

Sasuke opened the scroll labeled water and they repeated the process. Opting to share a large bottle of water between them.

"Your brother is the best!"  
"Yeah, Shisui really is..." Sasuke said softly as he took a drink. 

He felt the hair in the back of his neck stand up, Naruto was staring.

He put the bottle down and wiped his mouth. Naruto was leveling him with a look of betrayal and annoyance, eyes narrowed.

"What."

"I thought you said, you and Shisui weren't related." Naruto poked Sasuke in the cheek and Sasuke slapped his hand away on the third poke.

"We're not."  
"You just said!"

Sasuke groaned. Why did no one understand? 

This was such a simple concept, he couldn't wrap his head around the thought of everyone being so stupid to not understand it.

"Itachi is my only brother."  
"Yeah no shit he's your brother. What about Shisui? You said he was your brother too!"  
"We're not related by blood."  
"Step brother?"  
"No."

Naruto made an aggravated noise and folded his arms. His eyes closed and mouth turned down, he looked like a fox. A very confused fox. Drumming his fingers impatiently.

"Then why-"  
"It's a term if endearment!" Sasuke snapped.  
"Huh?"

"Ugh! Itachi is my big brother, then there's my mom and dad too. Those are the only people I'm related to by blood."

Naruto nodded.

"So...?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"So Shisui isn't related to me, he's not really my brother and our families are NOT related. I call him that because...well...He's really close and he'll be my real brother eventually. That's what Itachi says."

Sasuke shrugged and took another sip. Naruto thought it over.

"Is Obito your real cousin?"  
"No!"  
"Then why!"  
"It's a term of endearment in the clan!"  
"So...all those woman you called Auntie, like at the sweet shop and the store?"  
"Not related."  
"The old man across the street?"  
"Not related."  
"...The--"  
"Not! Related!" Sasuke grit out through his teeth.

"...your family is so weird! Your clan is weird! You're weird!"

"Am not!" Sasuke folded his arms, turning away in a huff. But a smile was on his lips, hidden by the shadow of the sun and his hair.

They didn’t notice the third shadow, swaying softly in the sunshine, near the edge of the valley.  
\---  
Iruka stood with the other Jonin chaperones, agonizing over the disappearance of both boys. Though he wouldn't say it, he was more worried about Naruto. But it was impolite to voice favorites.

"We need to find them, quickly, we can't let this accident get back to the village."

"If the Hokage and Uchiha clan head find out, there will be hell to pay."

"The relationship between the Uchiha is strained enough. If Fugaku gets wind of this..."

"He won't." Iruka put a stop to the incessant worrying.

Hinata's bodyguard, the Hyuuga chuunin, activated his byakugan. Scanning their surroundings, for any signs of the wayward children, when he stiffened. A muscle in his lip twitched.

"There's four chakra signatures about to emerge." The Hyuuga warned in a low voice with a grimace.  
"What?! Who?"  
"Three Uchiha and Hatake."  
"Ah, shit..."  
"Already? I thought we had time!"  
"How could they've known, we barely found out a couple hours ago!"

A rift in space time swirled before them. Itachi, Shisui, Obito and Kakashi materialized. Obito blinked away his mangekyo, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Kakashi closed his left eye and pulled his head band back down.

"What's the status of my brother." Itachi stated calmly as he took the lead, the others falling into a comfortable formation behind him. 

Shisui at his right, Obito his left and Kakashi at his back.

"Still missing." Iruka stepped forward.  
"However, we apprehended the would be kidnappers. They haven't released any information to us..."

Itachi nodded.

"Where are they?"

"Over here." Iruka lead them to the bound kidnappers, now fully conscious but unwilling to talk. 

"We're not saying shit." Jiro sneered up at them with a shit eating grin. Obito doesn't hesitant for a second. Grabbing Jiro by the shirt and punching him in the face. Blood gushing out of his broken nose and down his chin.

"How bout now? Ready?" Obito hisses, drawing his fist up again. The swirling lines of his scars punctuating the furrow of his brow. 

"You hit like a bitch!" Jiro spat. Blood and spittle speckling Obito’s cheeks.

“Son of a bitch!” Obito's eye twitches and he goes to bring his fist down again. Jiro braces for the hit. But Shisui stops Obito, catching his wrist and pulling him back. Obito throws a glare at Shisui, who just shrugs.

"That's not going to help us."  
"Fuck off Shisui! Violence is the only language these fuckers understand!" Obito wretches his hand away from Shisui, who put no strength behind the hold.

Jiro cackles through his chipped teeth, Seiken remains silent not as big of an idiot as his partner to provoke the Uchiha further. Instead he watches the Uchiha with careful eyes, noting that the Hatake was staying at the back.

"Obito is right, Shisui." Itachi murmers as he steps forward, Obito and Shisui take a step back gawking at Itachi.

"I am?"  
"He is?"

"Fuck're you gonna do? Beat it out of us? Were high level. You can't do shit to us! Besides...hehe... Heiseiki is still out the-"

Seiken jabs Jiro harshly in the ribs.

"Stop talking you worthless idiot!" Seiken hisses. The gravity of the situation weighing heavily upon him. Jiro may not realize just who stands in front of them. Four of the most notorious ninja Konaha had ever produced.

Itachi glowers down on them before kneeling at eye level. 

"You will tell me everything, willingly." Itachi breathes, voice calm and his expression betraying none of the inner turmoil he's experiencing.  
Jiro and Seikens eyebrows pinch together as they stare. Itachi's demeanor, so different from that of Obito's, and his sudden change of tactic jarring to them.

He activates his Sharingan with a blink.

Seiken snaps his eyes closed but it's too late, too late for both of them. Already ensnared in Itachi's genjutsu.

"Infinite Tsukuyomi."

The world is painted black and white, birds circling overhead. A red sky backdrop. Jiro and Seiken are tied to crosses, rendered immobile.

"It's just you, me and the crows." Itachi produces a blade from over his shoulder, calmly driving it into Jiro's body. Jiro screams, thrashing away from the intensity of the pain. He tries to tell himself this is just a genjutsu, it can't hurt him. 

But it hurts and hurts and hurts. He foams at the mouth as another sword sinks into his abdomen, then his shoulders, skewering him. Bright flashes of agony. He breaks within moments.

"We were hired to intercept the leafs academy field trip! We were looking for any blood line limit users! The Uchiha went into the woods alone and we took our opportunity! That other brat just showed up! The loud one with malicious chakra! But he wasn't part of the plan!"

Jiro's eyes roll back as Itachi twists the blade.

"Tell me about this Heiseiki, the other blood line hunter, his status and abilities.."

Seiken breaks next under Itachi's cruelty.

"He's in charge of the operation." Seiken groans through a mouthful of blood.

"He's a demon is what he is. He won't stop until he gets what he's after. They call him a false Hatake. A relentless tracker; who specializes in espionage and is proficient in chakra concealment and camouflage. A dog that once sinks his teeth into something, you'd have to kill to get it to let go. It’s said not even the visual prowess of the Uchiha or Hyuuga is enough to see him."  
"Go on."  
"He-" Seiken chokes as the blade shifts in his lungs, he wheezes air into his punctured lung.

"He's received a message about our coordinates and our capture-no one was supposed to come after us!"  
"Did you think you would get away with it? Taking the youngest son of the clan head?"

Seiken eyes widen with realization as Itachi thrusts the blade fully through him leaning in close to Seiken's quivering face, sharingan rapidly spinning in silent fury.

"My brother."  
"He’s a dangerous…adversary. H-he'll get what he's after, Uchiha Itachi."  
"Not while I breathe."

Itachi rises from his position, the two ninja dazed and foaming at the mouth. Their eyes glazed and glassy as they remain trapped in his genjutsu.

"They'll remain in this state for 72 hours. Obito, open a portal to the interrogation squad office. Ibiki and Inoichi can do as they please. I have gotten what I need from them. Their motives and intelligence can prove beneficial. Tell them not to alert the clan head or Hokage until our return."  
"Got it."

Obito opens a portal and drags them through, not the least bit careful. While in Kamui he decides to beat on Jiro once more before depositing them on the floor of the interrogation squad, bloody and unresponsive, before a squawking secretary. He relays Itachi's orders and heads back.

“Well, what’d you find out?” Obito adjusted one of his gloves as he spoke.  
“These two weren’t the only ones. There’s someone else, a man named Heiseiki. Specializes in chakra concealment and camouflage. They said he’s dangerous.”  
“Tch. They probably only think he’s dangerous cause he didn’t get caught with their dumbasses!” Obito rolls his eyes with a scoff.

High in the trees a figure balances in the shadow of the leaf. A gloved finger tapping gently against a cold porcelain mask. It seems that even the Uchiha were none the wiser to his presence, clone or otherwise. Laughable, it smirked, shinobi of their caliber. The clone dissipated with the breeze, transferring it’s newly acquired intelligence to the original body.

"To think an heir to the 'prestigious' Uchiha clan would allow themselves to be kidnapped." The Hyuuga chuunin muttered under his breath, clearly annoyed at the fact he had to deposit his own charge, to the care of another Jonin, in favor of helping the search party.

Itachi, Shisui and Obito snap their attention to the chuunin. Three pairs of sharingan glaring in the morning light. Boring holes through his skull.

"What the fuck did you say? You fish eyed fuck?" Obito seethes as he takes a step forward. A black rod extending from his left palm. Shisui took a step to come to Obito's side, right hand raised over his shoulder to rest on his tanto .

_"Hey 'cuz, think it'd cause trouble if we waste this fucker."_ Obito growled, in the Uchiha clans native tongue. The syllables rolling dangerously off his tongue.

Shisui's fingers curled around the hilt of his blade.

The Hyuuga activated his byakugan, the veins slowly extending from his eyes to his temples, scrunching his nose disdainfully. Keeping his eyes warily focused on the Uchiha in front of him, their chakra flaring like liquid fire in their veins. He slowly lowered himself into the trigram stance, pale eyes tracking the pair cautiously.

_"He's just a branch member, wouldn't be any trouble at all."_ Shisui responded in kind, also in the clan tongue. He advanced on the Hyuuga. Killing intent radiating off of him.

Most people would assume that Shisui would be the one to reason with among all Uchiha. With his calm demeanor and cheerful smiles. But his charisma and charm was a deceptive facade. Masking his true ruthlessness. He was the one that should be feared the most.

_"Obito, enough!"_ Kakashi yelled, stepping forward to stop the inevitable fight threatening to break out. 

_“This won’t change anything!”_ Kakashi pleads, picking his words carefully, the Uchiha syntax still foreign on his tongue after all these years. 

_"Stay out of it!"_ Obito snapped, his lips peeled back in a snarl, sharingan pattern in a rapid spin. He leveled Kakashi with an intensity that Kakashi didn't know he was capable of. 

He had glimpsed it, once, a life time ago, when they had to save Rin. But this...this was something else entirely. Kakashi took a step back when he felt it. The shooting throb of his borrowed eye. 

As if Obito's was calling out to it's missing piece. He felt the deep seated lust for revenge, reparation. He held onto the left side of his face. Pushing the overwhelming feeling down, out of his mind.

"Ridiculous," the Hyuuga breathed, voice unsteady as he faced the reality of being met with not one but three Uchiha who had flee on sight orders to their names.

The other Jonin looked to each other then Kakashi, their eyes rapidly flickering to the participants of what, they were sure, would be an execution. No one was willing to interfere. Opting to watch anxiously from the sidelines.

Itachi's hands came up from behind Obito and Shisui, placing his palms on their shoulders and stepping between them, then in front. Showcasing his position of command among the three of them.

Shisui was the first to drop his hand. But keeping his red eyes trained on the offender in question.

_"Alright. 'Tachi..."_ Shisui exhaled.

Obito hesitated before retracting the rod with slow deliberance. More of a threat of what could have been instead of an act of withdrawal.

_"Fine."_ Obito's voice was clipped and Kakashi's knees nearly buckled now that the killing intent had seemingly retracted.

"My brother is a child. He is not at fault over the actions of adults." Itachi's voice was even. But underneath was a layer of sharpened anger, though he concealed it well.

"Your clan should know the dangers of bloodline hunters. You should have taken the appropriate measures." The Hyuuga hissed, sweat trickling down his temple. His byakugan still active, his distrust for the Uchiha in front of him painfully apparent. 

"That is on my shoulders, it had nothing to do with Sasuke."  
"This is your responsibility. The product of your own recklessness."

Shisui's fingers twitched as his mangekyo flared to life. No one would talk to Itachi like that, not in front of him. Another wave of killing intent pouring out of him and making the collective flinch back from the intensity. Though this time, Obito's hand came up to his arm to steady him, lightly squeezing Shisui's bicep to remind him of Itachi's order. He leaned in close to Shisui, the stray strands of Obito’s bangs brushing against the shell of Shisui’s ear.

_“Easy, "Cuz…”_ Obito whispered, eyes trained ahead. Shisui didn’t break his gaze away from the Hyuuga. But he took a shuddering inhale, reigning in the killing intent. Everyone sighed with relief but didn’t relax as they looked toward Itachi for his response.

"I take full responsibility. But this must not reach our clan head, the consequences would be devastating. We came to handle the situation. I implore you to help us."

Itachi wasn’t asking a favor, he was giving the Hyuuga an ultimatum.

Obito and Shisui flanked Itachi's sides in a show of solidarity. Obito had his arms folded tightly over his chest as he continued to glare down the Hyuuga. One of Shisui’s hands hung by his hip, the other coming to Itachi's shoulder. Itachi placed a hand a top of Shisui’s, looking expectantly at the Chuunin.

The Hyuuga turned his byakugan past them, staring off into the distance.

"I don't see them. But I do detect chakra anomalies at the edge of a cliff about 15 miles west of here."  
"Thank you for your cooperation. We’ll take the rest from here, you’re dismissed."

The Hyuuga gave a curt nod, turning on his heel and retreating back to the camp to oversee his mission. 

"Fuck that guy." Obito spat on the ground with a scowl.

Kakashi approached them, watching the Hyuuga's receding form, he ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. 

"We need to track them. They're far. But it's manageable."

Shisui nodded, he turned to Kakashi who seemed to pick up on the unspoken course of action.

"Right."

Shisui and Kakashi weaved hand signs in rapid succession, slamming their palms into the ground simultaneously.

"Summoning jutsu!" They shouted in unison. Two great clouds of smoke blew into existence, Kakashi's ninken and a colossal crow appeared as the smoke cleared.

"Hey boss. What's the plan?"  
"We're tracking Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. We need to find them."  
"Don't worry boss, we're on it."

The crow, nearly three times the size of the shinobi stared down at them through intelligently dark eyes.

"Uchiha Shisui. This is about the fledgling Uchiha, is it not?"

Shisui bowed respectfully and Obito jumped behind Kakashi muttering about “fucking huge birds.”

"It is, Lord Ozoku."  
"Bloodline thieves, though he managed to escape. A valiant little nestling that one."  
"Please, allow me to use your wings to gain a higher vantage point."

The bird stared at Shisui for a long while and Itachi was almost sure the crow would decline.

"Come." Was all the colossus said before extending a wing for Shisui and Itachi to climb atop his back.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Obito shouted as the crow began to take flight.

"Sorry Obito! There's only room for two!" Shisui laughed.

He wasn't sorry at all.

"That's not fair! Hey! Damn it--"  
"I'm not waiting hurry up!" Kakashi yelled over his shoulder, a good distance away, the dogs running formation around him.

"Hey!!" Obito nearly tripped in his haste to catch up, soon they were running side by side.

Kakashi and Obito ran parallel, Kakashi stealing glimpses every now and again but curiosity soon overtook him.

"Obito...back there, you and Shisui... were you really go--"  
"That Hyuuga is only alive because Itachi stepped in, period." Obito cut him off, never taking his eyes from the front.

"Obito…" 

Obito scoffed, looking up to the shadow of the great crow.

"Because you have my eye, by technicality, you're an inheritor of the blood line limit. Also be technicality a standing clan member. But you are not an Uchiha, Kakashi. You wouldn't understand how deep the bond of this clan goes, you don't have a reference for it." Obito paused for a moment, the last comment biting too deep he thought.

"No offense..."  
"Non taken."

"It's not just the sharingan that connects us, though, I'm sure you felt it. Back there and with Shisui just a moment ago."

"Yeah, almost like..."

“Exactly. Though that's a small part of it. It's different for me, us. It's the blood itself, we're all bound by it. 'Above all else'." The Uchiha clan put family above all, others, themselves....even the village….” Obito paused, weighing his words carefully.

“Itachi and I may not see eye to eye but we're still connected, when it comes down to it. I'd die for him, I guess. I wouldn't be happy about it. But yeah, I would. Shisui too, though I'd be a little less pissed if it was him. So when that Hyuuga went and said shit, it was on. I've seen people die for less..."

Obito's eyes narrowed in determination.

"Sasuke is my baby cousin, I'll do anything to bring him home. I feel the same about Naruto, being Minato Sensei's kid, I'm sure you feel the same way."

Kakashi nodded, understanding the weight of Obito's words.

_"We'll get them back."_

_"Damn right we will."_  
\---  
"That's enough of a break, let's go." Sasuke packed the scrolls away. Pulling the bag around his waist, he clipped it shut. Naruto stood and stretched, peering down curiously at Sasuke, who was still looking down at the clip, his cheeks tinted with a warm feeling filling his belly, before extending his hand. 

Sasuke scoffed before grabbing it, Naruto pulled him up with a wide smile, Sasuke staggered forward.

"You...should keep the jacket on, it's kind of windy down here." Naruto pulled his jacket off the line and handed it out to Sasuke but he was looking away, again. Sasuke bristled, at the coddling, and turned on his heel.

"Come on, it's a long walk."

Naruto huffed, rolling his eyes, at the rejection. He tied his jacket around his waist and jogged the few paces to catch up.

They walked in silence for a few hours, the cliff face no longer visible.

"Everything looks so different down here..."

Sasuke looked around, he was so focused on walking he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. The valley was overgrown with sprawling fields of flowering vegetation, flowers and the occasional tree dotting the landscape.

"I don't remember seeing any of this when we were up there." Naruto continued to talk, while taking in all the sights.

"There's so many flowers! Smells really good, don't you think?" Naruto turned to Sasuke, his hands clasped behind his head. 

Sasuke grumbled out a "yeah."

He noticed the sweat decorating Sasuke's brow and the way his body sagged under the weight of the pack.

"Uh...do you wanna take a break, you look tired."

Sasuke leveled him with an irritated glare and pressed on, ignoring the invitation.

"Ugh fine!" Naruto stomped in front and picked up his pace. Sasuke fell behind, his limping gate picking up to keep with Naruto. Naruto glanced behind him, the distance between them growing with Sasuke's frown.

"Having trouble?" Naruto smirked.  
"No." Sasuke spat, inhaling sharply through his nose. Struggling to walk, his limp becoming more apparent under the weight of the added bag.

Naruto kept walking before turning sharply on his heel and walking back towards Sasuke.

"Let me carry the bag." He extended his hand expectantly."

"No I got it."

"Give it to me! Stop being a bastard!" Naruto shouted as advanced a step and Sasuke took one back, keeping his distance. 

Naruto stilled, looking Sasuke up and down. Sasuke scrunched up his nose, teeth showing, his shoulders to his ears as he bristled. He intended to fight this out.

"Fine." Naruto looked away, turning on his heel about to face the front. Sasuke didn't move but he brought his shoulders down, he was about to take a step when Naruto spun back around and lunged at him. Taking them both to the ground.

Sasuke struggled, kicking and slapping with his palms to get Naruto off him. 

Naruto caught one of Sasuke's hands with his cheek and hissed at the sting. He shoved Sasuke's hands away and drew further up his hips to avoid Sasuke's kicks. He unclipped the bag and dragged it from Sasuke's waist, jumping back and securing it to his own waist.

"Hey! Give it back!" Sasuke rolled to the side and got to his feet.  
Naruto stuck out his tongue and took off running through the field. Sasuke stood with his mouth open for a moment before giving chase.

"Get back here, deadlast!!"  
"Catch me if you can!"

Naruto taunted, laughing as he ran, more nimble on his uninjured legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obito Finna Snap, shisui too!
> 
> The clan language that the Uchiha + Kakashi use is italicized!
> 
> Just some of my personal headcanons for the Uchiha:
> 
> Contrary to popular belief the Uchiha have a greater dislike for the Hyuuga, rather then the Senju, because of the caged bird seal.
> 
> The Uchiha have their own primary clan language, like most other old clans, that is taught before the common village language. Since Kakashi is considered an honorary Uchiha due to having Obito's eye (And having grown up with Obito) Obito has taught him the language. It's regarded as the most difficult clan language to learn as a non native speaker


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have absolutely nothing to say for myself for why this is so late!

When Heiseiki jumped after the boys, he didn't take into account the little Uchiha's audacity. To let go like he did, drop from the small blonde ones back. Heiseiki made a fatal error in his calculations. He thought it would have been enough to catch them mid flight. Use a flicker technique to bring them back over the precipice and subdue them on higher ground.

He was wrong.

His body paid for the mistake. Unable to conjure chakra, he plunged to the ground. He felt the sick shattering of his ribcage as shards impaled his lungs. The chipped pieces of bone making their way through his bloodstream to his heart. 

He gasped and writhed as he watched them. Still camouflaged. They didn't even notice him, on the verge of death and only feet away from the edge of the cliff face.

They were too preoccupied to see it, whatever it was, slinking towards him under the cover of the shadow of the ridge. To hear it's inky voice.

"My...my, this body will do...just fine."

It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt when that mass of black tendrils invades his broken body. Sealing the internal bleeding, careful not to spill a drop. That could ruin everything.

"This time around, I won't fail." It laughs, he can hear it echoing about in his skull. It goes dark for moment, his vision does, though he's still clinging to consciousness. 

He doesn't think it aims to kill him, surely it would be able to. Wouldn't it? 

Instead it snatches control of his limbs. Body shambling and contorting to get closer to the boys.

Maybe it wants them too. For whatever purpose, that's lost on Heiseiki. It reaches them. But it stills, his body, this thing controlling it. 

It just waits and waits and waits...

It doesn't raise a hand to strike. The remaining blood coating the grass transfers to Heiseiki’s cheek, marking him as worthy luggage. 

It, he, watches from where they are. The world has a suspicious tilt to it. He can feel a sinister shift in atmosphere. The strangest thought comes to him. Merely a fleeting idea that he can’t comfortably say is his own, or if it’s an echo from the intruder.

“You’re correct in your observations.” He can hear that thing smile against his awareness.

“We’ve entered into the Valley of the Sun.”  
\----

"There's blood on the wind." Lord Ozoku observed, offhandedly.  
"How much?"  
"A substantial amount, though it would not incur death."

Itachi took a shaking breath, swallowing hard. Shisui took his hand, expressing soft. Itachi closed his eyes and nodded. Shisui continued to scout.

"There's something there, Lord Ozoku, please take us down."

The bird descended on the ridge of the cliff. Obito and Kakashi arrived soon after.

"This is it, boss. The kids were just here."  
"Thank you Pakkun, please stick around a little longer."  
"You got it."

Shisui and Itachi stepped off the crow, inspecting the disturbed grass that Pakkun had been sniffing.

"We may have just missed them." Shisui put a finger to his chin.

"Where the hell could they have gone?!" Obito ran a frustrated hand over his face and hair.  
_"Down."_  
"No way, Itachi, that’s crazy! it's over a 200 foot drop!"

Itachi was looking at the thin line of ninja wire that caught the sun, glimmering like spiders silk.

Shisui whistled, impressed.

"They sure have ingenuity. Looks like they made a zip line." Shisui followed the wire down where it hung over the cliff, the end floating in the breeze in the grass below.

 _"What the fuckkk."_ Obito whispered, coming to stand at the precipice.

"Long way down...they went into the valley. Maybe they're hoping to get to their field trips check point." Kakashi crouched down.

"They'll be easy to find, it's just a flat plane. But I can't see them from here, let's get down there."

"I'm not jumping, even with chakra." Obito muttered.

"Let's just take a page from their book!" Shisui produced his own wire and kunai, with a mischievously grin, Obito grimaced and Itachi nodded. Kakashi simply shrugged, a way down was a way down.

_"Wait! What the hell! Let's just use Kamui!"_

Shisui lowered his kunai with a sigh and Obito opened a portal, stepping through, only to come back a moment later. 

"Well?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Ther'snoway'own." Obito mumbled.

"What?"  
"There's no way down! I can't open another rift down there!" Obito shouted, folding his arms and pouting, lip jutting out as he looked away from Kakashi.

"Zip line it is!" Shisui flickered to a tree, looping the wire next to Naruto's and Sasuke's. He flickered back to the group and tied the end to the kunai and threw it down with the aid of a chakra enhanced arm.

"C'mon Itachi. Hold onto my shoulders and don't let go, okay?"

Itachi nodded as he looped his arms around Shisui, pressing he's face against the back of Shisui's neck to look over his shoulder. Shisui untied his head band and placed it over the wire, the metal sitting taut as he gripped the cloth.

"See you guys at the bottom!" Shisui winked before he stepped off the cliff with ease.

They landed in the valley, Shisui hitting the ground with feet first, Itachi providing the drag they needed to slow down. Shisui tied his headband back into place and Itachi helped him adjust it so it wouldn't be crooked.

Shisui waved to Obito and Kakashi to follow.

"Okay, Obito, it's our turn. Let's go."

Obito kicked a rock and sauntered over.

"This blows...there's a reason I use Kamui."  
_"Mhm, afraid of heights?"_  
"No! I just, when I look down I get dizzy okay! My body just locks up and my mind blanks! I just don't ha--"

Kakashi grabbed Obito by the waist, cutting him off mid rant, and jumped off the ridge.

Obito yelled all the way down.

Obito clung to Kakashi, throwing their weight off balance and pitching them downward. Kakashi lost his grip on the line at last few feet, letting go.

Itachi grimaced and Shisui flinched when they both hit the ground.

"Oh, sage, ow ow ow." Obito opened his eyes, expecting pain but being greeted with a surprisingly intact body. 

"Huh, I thought that would hurt more. Good thing..." Obito looked down where he landed ontop of a groaning Kakashi.

"Good thing you broke my fall." A sheepish grin grew over Obito's mouth, as he let out a nervous laugh.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes in annoyance and threw Obito off him, who landed with a hard thud. His head spinning, he could have sworn he caught a glimpse of Ashura, the Senju progenitor, laughing at him from the sky.

Kakashi got up and rolled his shoulder with a huff.

"Yo, boss. Over here."

The team turned their attention to the dogs, sitting a couple feet from them.

"Pakkun, how did you get down?"  
"There's a path 'bout 45 feet from the ledge." Pakkun pointed with one of his paws and Obito, still on the ground, gurgled something like a curse.

"Can you scent them?"  
"Yeah, this way."

They walked a couple yards from where they landed when the dogs stopped abruptly, yipping and whining.

"Why the hell did we stop?? And Kakashi, you asshole, you threw me too hard! I think I have a concussion, I saw Ashura laughing at me! Do you know how hard you have to be hit to see someone else's relatives!"

"Pakkun?" Kakashi ignored Obito's whining and turned his attention to the dogs.

"There's a scant trace of blood here but... other then that, the trail is cold."

"Cold....?" Itachi hurries to the small dog's side, inspecting the ground.

"Yeah, their scents just stop, like they never pasted this point, real odd if you ask me."

"An enemy's jutsu maybe?"  
"Nah, no other smells, only theirs then it's gone."

Shisui went to Itachi, kneeling.

"But you said there was blood, whose is it?"  
"A mix, some Sasuke some Naruto. Just a few drops, nothin' major. Nothin' else we can do without a scent, boss."

Shisui nodded before he stood up. Kakashi dismissed the dogs with a poof.

"I'll activate my Sharingan, it'll see any chakra and we can follow them like that."

Shisui closed his eyes, then opened them again.

"Uh, what're you waiting for, hurry it up!"  
“It's....not working, I can't gather chakra."  
"Seriously? Step aside, time to show what I got."

Obito stepped forward, nudging against Shisui's shoulder as he stood in front of the group. Obito closed his eyes, building suspense, before they snapped open.

"Mangekyo!"

Obito paused, a bead of sweat running down his temple, his vision hadn't changed. He tried again, trying to force chakra into his optic nerves.

"Mangekyo!!"

Kakashi folded his arms, tapping a finger against his forearm, and nudging a rock with his toe.

Obito slumped over, defeated.

"It's no use, I can't do it either."

"I am unable to as well." Itachi breathed, feeling inadequate. He was supposed to be the leader of their group, but he too had fallen short of usefulness.

"There's something about this place..." Shisui exhaled, concerned.

"Hey! Kakashi! Break the seal and use yours! It can't turn off, lift up your headband!"

Kakashi nodded, he was their only option now, their only hope. He lifted his headband and exposed his bisected eye, the sealing tattoo on his eyelid gone.

 _"I-I..can't see..."_ Kakashi felt a shudder run through him, it was just a stark, black, void.

"Oh Sage! what the fuck! Gross! Put your headband back down! Put it back! Put it back!" Obito shielded his eyes, burying his face in the crook of his elbow, waving and pointing with the other hand.

Shisui and Itachi blinked slowly in unison. Itachi had to use his hand to gently close Shisui's dropped jaw, never taking their eyes off Kakashi.

Kakashi's Sharingan was a pale red. A thick, milky, film settled over it. Akin to a cloudy fishbowl. He pulled his headband back down, retying it tightly.

"Well, That's a no go...there has to be another way." Kakashi shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

Obito looked around them to the flat plane of the valley, no visible landmarks present and the other ridge in sight.

 _"Doesn't make any sense..."_ Obito whispered, pulling his eyebrows together. 

His eyes widened at a thought, He snapped his fingers when it came to him.

"That teacher, whatshisfuck, Iruka. He said chakra doesn't work here...there's something disruptive to chakra flow. That's why we can't use our Sharingan and why Kamui didn't work."

"Then....if it's not a jutsu, then what is it?"

"I don't know, they were here and now...now they're not." Obito bit the fingernail of his thumb.

"We should split up and find out what we can about this valley. Obito, Kakashi, go into the neighboring village and gather intel. Itachi and I will stay behind and scout the valley." Shisui rose with the resolve that earned him the title of an ANBU captain.

 _"Split up, seriously?"_ Obito turned to him with a critical eye and Shisui merely nodded.

_"Meet us back here at sundown."_

Obito made a move to argue. There was safety in numbers, what if something happened while they were away, they can't use chakra, it wouldn't be wise to cut communication. 

Shisui raised an eyebrow at him.

Almost daring him to argue with him. They both know Obito has never won anything when pitted against Shisui. Be it in clan gatherings or on the field.

Obito huffed but made no further protests, simply turning on his heel and taking Kakashi by the jacket, pulling him towards the path up the cliff.

"We're walking up this time, fuck that climbing bullshit. We can use Kamui once we're out of the valley."

With Obito and Kakashi out of sight, Itachi rose to his feet, his hands trembling at his sides. Eyes closed as he fought down the dread creeping its way up a throat that was two sizes too tight. 

Shisui took Itachi's cheeks in his hands and stepped in front of him.

_"Hey, look at me."_

Itachi's eyes fluttered open and Shisui gave him a smile.

_"I'm worried for him."_

_"Sasuke'll be just fine, we'll bring him home. He's clever and Naruto is with him, I can't imagine anyone better to be with him then his best friend."_

Itachi looked over shisui's shoulder to the sun, sailing over the center line of the sky, afternoon was waning fast.

 _"It will be dark in a few hours..."_ A new fear settled in the bottom of his stomach, Shisui turned his face to the light, still clasping Itachi's cheeks between his hands.

 _"We'll find them."_ Shisui whispered, more to himself then Itachi.

\---

"You didn't need to hit me so hard, bastard!" Naruto rubbed his sore cheek, but he was smug in the fact the the pack was still around his waist.

"Don't do such stupid things if you don't want to get hit." Sasuke countered.

"Yeah yeah yeah, whateve--hey! Theres a river!" Naruto's eyes shined as they set upon the large mouth of a river, cutting across the valley, to their left.

Sasuke didn't recall seeing a river in this valley.

"Let's go swimming!"  
"What? Naruto, no we don't have time to do that--stop!" Sasuke made a futile attempt to grab hold of his shirt sleeve, his fingers just brushing the skin of his arm. 

Sasuke pulled his hand back, realizing it was pointless to try and stop him.

Naruto tossed his jacket and the waist pack to the side before kicking off his sandals and jumping in, clothes and all. 

Sasuke stood at the bank frowning.

"We don't have time!" Sasuke scowled and resisted the urge to stamp his foot, that was just unbecoming of an Uchiha clan heir.

Naruto surfaced and spit out water in a streaming arc.

"C'mon Sas, what are they gonna do leave us if we're not there? They're probably looking for us too, by now. We can take our time!"

"What if someone is following us!"  
"You said it yourself, we'll see anyone coming! Loosen up! Just get in, 'cause I'm not getting out." Naruto floated on his back, his arms to the side.

Sasuke folded his arms and looked away for a moment, it was getting really warm and they had been walking this whole time.

It wasn't such a bad idea...

Sasuke started to strip, folding his shirt and shorts neatly and moving all their stuff away from the waters edge and under a tree. He walked up to the water and stood with his ankles in the shallows.

"You're not coming all the way in?"  
"I can't with my leg."

Naruto frowned before his eyes lit up, he pulled his soaking body from the river, water running down in rivulets, near sprinting, the grass dampening under his feet. Before he kneeled at the pack, rifling through it for something. He grabbed the half empty water bottle before dumping the contents.

Sasuke came up to him curiously as Naruto used the kunai to cut the bottom off and make the top bigger.

"Give me your leg."  
"Why?" Sasuke narrowed his arms and folded his arms over his chest defensively.

Naruto, without hesitation or permission, grabbed Sasuke's leg and pulled it out from under him, bringing Sasuke down to his ass.

He slipped the plastic over it before securing the top and bottom, effectively making a plastic cast.

"There!"  
"That's..." Sasuke couldn't finish, it was actually a good idea.

"Thanks..."  
"Come on!"

Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the hand and dragged them both into the water.

Sasuke let himself be taken, into the depths. The sun at Naruto's back made him smile, even if they were lost, even if they were alone at least it was the two of them.

Naruto dipped under the water as soon as they were deep enough and Sasuke followed suit. 

They broke the surface at the same time, Sasuke shook his hair out of his face, eyes closed, droplets falling from his lashes. 

Naruto simultaneously felt his face heat up and goosebumps sear across his arms. 

"You look like such a girl!!" Naruto shouted. The only way Naruto could dissipate the butterflies swarming in his chest was to deflect them.

Teasing was his best option.

Sasuke flinched back at the sudden volume. Face twisting up in a frown. He went to tell an insult of his own. But Naruto dunked his head back into the water to cool off, the waves in his belly a parallel to the water lapping at their backs.

Naruto picked his head up only to be hit with a wave of water, he shook his head and rubbed his eyes to stare at Sasuke who was seemingly minding his own business, gently wading his hands under the water.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and Sasuke leveled with a stare, slowly rising his eyebrow.

"What."  
"You splashed me!"

Sasuke shrugged and Naruto, all trace of the warm feeling in his belly turning to indignation, reared up and, with both hands, hit the waters surface sending a impressive arc of water straight for Sasuke. 

It struck him and his hair fell over his face as Naruto stared, caught like a deer in headlights.

"You….really do look like a girl…like that…" Naruto whispered, Sasuke had barely caught the words.

Sasuke tucked the sides of his bangs over his ears and glared, missing the slow pinkish tint that crossed over Naruto's face matching his own. He wouldn't let that comment slide so easily, not this time, Naruto would pay for his insult. 

He lunged at Naruto bringing them both down into the water, they struggled with one another as they took turns dunking the other back into the water. Their laughter resounding through the valley.  
\---

Obito and Kakashi cut across the marked travel paths leading to the village ahead.

A couple approached them, too engrossed in their conversation to realize they were on a collision course with Obito. He was too caught up in his thoughts to notice them. The shoulder of one of the couple passed through his whole left side with ease. An unconscious activation Kamui.

The couple turned around briefly, looking Obito up and down with twin bewilderment.

"A ghost?"  
"Don't say that!"

Kakashi gave them a backwards glance and they hurried along, afraid to be caught up in the strangeness of the village of the valley.

"Maa, Obito. I can hear your brain sizzling. Don't think too hard, you might hurt yourself." Kakashi mused, hands in his pockets, posture slouched as they continued to walk side by side.

"It has to be the blood...something to do with the blood. That has to be it."  
"What has to be?"  
"The channel."  
"I think you really did hurt yourself."

Obito threw a glare at Kakashi before bringing his knuckle to his chin in thought.

"How they disappeared. People don't just vanish like that."

"We do." Kakashi pointed out, calling attention to what Obito had just done a few seconds prior.

"Exactly. We can use Kamui. Sasuke hasn't even awakened Sharingan and plus he wouldn't have that ability anyways. I don't think it was him...or Naruto."  
"Obito, what are you getting at?"

Obito sighed, he really didn't know. It was frustrating him. The whole situation had him on the verge of losing his absolute shit.

"Kamui works like this: The Sharingan itself is the channel, chakra is the facilitating factor and time space dimension is the destination."  
"So...if chakra can't be used in the valley, there has to be another facilitating factor? You think they're in another dimension? Itachi isn't going to like that."  
"Fuck Itachi, I don't like that!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at Obito's outburst.

"If they are in another dimension, only you and I can get them back! But we can't even use Kamui in the valley! So what the fuck! What's the point of having this ability if we can't use it!" Obito was nearly snarling at the implication of being so useless, his hackles clearly raised as his hair bristled.

"You're about to bust a blood vessel, settle down." Kakashi sighed, placing a hand on Obito's shoulder to get him to calm down and look at him. Obito was getting too wound up, he was losing focus.

"Let's get to the village and gather more intel. That'll help us more then agonizing over what we can't do, mhm?"

"Fine, whatever." Obito shrugged off Kakashi's hand in a huff.

They made it into the village, it was late afternoon and the streets were bustling. Some villagers stopped to gawk at the foreign shinobi who had wandered in. 

Some poor soul made the mistake of making eye contact with Obito.

"Hey you! Come here! What do you know about the valley!" Obito yelled while pointing, advancing on the stranger.

The villagers eyes widened at Obito, fear spreading across their face as they took off.

"Hey you son of a bitch! Slow down! Get back here! Argh! Dammit!" Obito started chasing him down. Him and anyone else unfortunate enough to look at him.

After two hours of running around scaring the locals Kakashi finally stopped Obito to get him to change tactics.

"This isn't working, what you're doing is making it worse. Everyone is avoiding us entirely. Let's go into a tea shop and to find someone and calmly ask them questions."  
"Huh? A tea shop? Is this a date?"

Kakashi leveled him with a blank look, absolutely devoid of any emotion.

"Kidding, Amatersasu above, lighten up. I know you're getting serious with Tenzo."  
"Let's just go. I owe you for making you lose your dango."  
"Oh yeah, I'll never forgive you for that, you hit me really hard!"  
"I saved your life."  
"You didn't save shit!"  
"Clearly..."

They bickered all the way to the tea shop, taking a seat and placing their orders. Kakashi was pointing out people who seemed friendly enough to approach. 

However as soon as Obito looked in their direction they scurried off in a hurry.

_"This is no use, we're gonna have to corner someone. There's two of us, it'll be easy even without chakra. The old grab'em and drag'em."  
"Okay, first we're not doing that. Second, no one has ever called it that."_

Obito was in the middle of making his case, why they should just grab someone and run, when an older woman approached them. She placed a tray on the table in front of them, a platter of cakes. Obito looked at the sweets before turning his attention to the woman.

"Hey, granny, we didn't order this?"  
"I know, sweetie, it's on the house. Do you boys mind if an old woman joins you for lunch?"  
"Wha-? Oh, uh, have a seat, here." Obito took the pillow from under his knees and offered it to her, she settled down onto the plush cushion.

"I hear you two have been making quite the ruckus in our little village."

Obito turned red and Kakashi sighed.

"I'm very sorry, he doesn't get out much." Kakashi gave a small bow and Obito gaped at the betrayal. The old women nodded at Kakashi with a chuckle.

"Asking about the valley down below, are you two thinking of making a trip? It's so lovely to see a couple so excited about the valley. You two think you're soulmates?" She smiled sweetly at them, the crows-teet near her eyes gaining prominence with her smile.

"Couple?! Soulmates?! Us?! Gross!! No way Granny!" Obito shouted and Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose at the outburst.

"You got it wrong! Really wrong! My baby cousin and his friend fell in there and disappeared!  
"Ah, I see." She nodded, taking the kettle off the tray and pouring three cups of tea. Obito snatched a sweet off the tray, popping it in his mouth as he talked.

"Do you know about it granny?"  
"Oh, I know it very well dear."  
"What can you tell us about the place? They just vanished..."  
"The Valley of the Sun is a place of intertwining fates, a place for soulmates. People who are bound to each other by the greater forces. Everything and anything that could or would be resounds in the valley. If they have already gone, then none can follow. But they will come back, they always do."

Obito put his head down on the table, his arms coming to cover it as he pulled at his hair. Kakashi gave him a pat on the back as he listened to the old woman intensely, trying to pick apart her strange words.

"Granny, stop speaking in riddles, you're making my head hurt and I don't get it. Sasuke's too young for soulmate mumbo jumbo plus it's just his friend with him."  
"When will they be back?" Kakashi cut in as the lady sipped her tea.  
"After the Apex of the solar eclipse, they shall return. Not as they were but as they are and will be."

Obito let out a small, strangled, sound.

"Can you...elaborate, please?" Kakashi's head was also starting to hurt. She wasn't making any sense.

"Let me tell you a story. Your headband tell’s me you're leaf shinobi, from Konoha, no?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Then you will know the characters I'm about to introduce. When I was a child, very long ago, two great clans were at war. The Senju and Uchiha, there was rumor of the clan heads forming a village, somewhere hidden among the leaves of Fire Country. However, peace did not last as Uchiha Madara left the village after a falling out of sorts with Senju Hashirama."

Obito's head snapped up at Madara's name. His clans history. He knew this story, or well, he thought he did. 

Everyone in Konoha knew about the feud between the founding clans and the turbulence relationship between Madara and Hashirama.

This would be the first time an outsider would tell the tale.

"Senju Hashirama chased Uchiha Madara all across the great nations, battling him and urging him to return home. Soon their fighting brought them here, to lightening country. The two were relentless, neither wanting to give up. They ended up clashing in the Valley, then, suddenly, they were gone." The old woman paused to sip her tea, adding to the suspense no doubt inflicted on Kakashi and Obito.

"It must have been a grueling, haunting fight."

Obito's brow pinched in confusion and Kakashi tilted his head, this wasn't part of the story they grew up hearing. This village nor the valley of the sun was ever mentioned.

"They were gone for three whole days, we searched the valley for them. But we could not find them. The solar eclipse dawned on the last day, a ring of fire burning a hole in the sky. When the sun shined again, they were standing hand in hand in the valley, they seemed...happy if not overwhelmed. Relieved, I think would be more appropriate.

My father was one of the people to bring them back to the village to recuperate. Madara was a man of very few words but Hashirama did not abstain from divulging what happened in the Valley."

Obito and Kakashi leaned in closer, Obito taking another cake from the plate and Kakashi leaning over his folded arms to listen intensely.

"He told a story of when the sky went black, everything that could have happened stretched out before him. He did not like the future he saw and broke down. He was nearly inconsolable, no one could quite understand him through such hysterics. He was going on about a death, a plot, war and the lives to be lost. Madara also recoiled from the events that were to take place, he seemed heartbroken nearly ashamed as if he had played a horrible role. They reconciled and left back to Konoha together, hand in hand much the same as when we found them."

"They had...a vision of the future?" Obito tilted his head, weighing her words and speaking carefully.

She nodded, taking a sip of her tea before continuing.

"Hashirama said it was destiny, for them to be together in this life. He said it as if they had already lived another life entirely. Separated from this plane of existence. Ah, I heard when they returned they..."

"They became Hokage...after Hashirama and Madara returned, they both took the mantle saying they would lead the village together or not at all. The story said that Hashirama changed Madara's heart." Kakashi finished.

"Granny? What allows people to enter, to really enter, the Valley of The Sun?" Obito was picking up on the fact that the real valley was somewhere else entirely.

A separate existence.

"It's the blood, child."  
"I knew it!" Obito slammed a hand down on the table, making the tray and cups rattle. Kakashi gently put a hand over his, everyone glancing in their direction. Waiting for another of the two-faced strangers outburst.

"Don't mind him, please continue." Kakashi tightened his hold on Obito's hand. Making him flinch and try to pull back like a child being reprimanded by an adult that's too polite to make a scene.

She chuckles at their antics.

"The Valley knows whom to let in, conditions must be met. Only those who are destined for each other may enter, sealed together by one soul. There's a saying 'only through blood can one have a total eclipse of the heart.'"

"Soulmates...huh?" Obito sat back, resting on his heels.

"So my baby cousin will come back on his own. We just have to wait for the eclipse?" Obito's face twisted up at the though, trying to flow the old woman's line of thinking to a logical conclusion.

She nodded serenely.

"When will that be?"  
"Oh...give or take a day or two. Tell me, is your cousins friend a Senju or Uzumaki perhaps?" The old lady leaned forward, her earrings swaying with the movement.

"Yeah, Uzumaki. How'd you guess, granny?"  
"You boys are Uchiha, yes?"

Kakashi was about to protest. About to say he was not, in fact, an Uchiha. A detail Obito had clearly pointed out near the beginning of their search.

"We are." Obito said with finality, giving Kakashi a sheepish look.

"Ah, destiny does move in a circle. How extraordinary the descendants would arrive on the anniversary of their predecessors."

"Does the eclipse happen every year or something?"  
"No sweetie, once every few decades. The last eclipse happened at the time Hashirama and Madara entered the Valley."

Obito felt a surge of relief and determination, he flew to his feet. Slamming both palms, this time, on the table excitedly with a blinding smile.

"Thanks granny! We gotta get back to the others to tell them!"

She nodded happily and Kakashi rose with a bow, clearly grateful at the good news.

Obito took one last cake before glancing back, the old woman gestured to the rest. He quickly snatched the remaining with a grin and bolted out, Kakashi close behind him.

"Thanks for everything!" Obito shouted with a wave without looking back.

"Wait! Children!" She calls futility after them, they can't hear her, as they pass through the colorful clothes that separates the tea house from the world.

"The valley is said to be the home of a monster..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We see a lot more of what's happening behind the scenes in this one!
> 
> I like that, in my experience, those who know two or more languages often use them interchangeable in conversation.
> 
> Obito mentions a seal on Kakashi's sharingan. Kushina, along with Mikoto, created a seal on Kakashi's eyelid that allows him to block the flow of chakra to his sharingan. Effectively allowing him to turn it "off" and "on"


	6. Chapter 6

"A future so horrible that even Madara had a change of heart, huh?" Obito looked up at the sky as they made their way back.

"Can you imagine something like that?"  
"A...terrible future, mhm?"

Kakashi looked to the side, he could imagine one, he thought. He brought his hand to hover over his left eye.

"You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep thinking that hard." Obito mocked.

_"Wait. Don't tell me."_ Obito put a hand up with a groan, waving him off.

"You're still dwelling on that?"  
"Obito...if we hadn't come back. If Sensei didn't show up when he did...then you might not be...Rin could have been..."

Obito smacked him up side the head tenderly, a good natured hit with a laugh that resembled more of a bark.

_"Cut it out, Bakashi, you're gonna make me cry!"_ Obito snorted.

Kakashi gave him a small smile from under his mask.

_"Did you mean it?"_  
_"Mean what?"_  
"What you said back there--"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I may have been too harsh earlier...you're still one of us." 

Obito looked ahead, the wind tussling his hair as he recalled the day he was dragged, half dead, back to the leaf.

"Fugaku saw to that when we all came back from Kananabi bridge." Obito gave a resolute nod.

"Ah, you know It's  
..it's nice..." Kakashi's voice was soft, whimsical even.

Obito snapped his attention back to Kakashi, eyebrows pinched together in confusion. He gave Kakashi a jostling shove with a nervous twitch of his lips.

"Nice? What's nice? You're not making any sense. You sound like that old granny."

Kakashi was silent, his visible eye drifting to the sky. Watching the clouds pass over the trees as he contemplated his words, his vulnerabilities.

_"...Kakashi? Hey..."_ Obito, sensing the shift in mood, slowed his pace, voice dropping to a whisper, _...what're you...what're you trying tell me?"_

"...To have a home to come back too. It's nice. You, Rin, Sensei...Tenzo too. After Father passed, I didn't think," Kakashi paused, for a moment, "I didn't think I would have another home to return too. It seems like Hashirama and Madara really did change the future." Kakashi continued to walk ahead and Obito fell silent.

Kakashi glanced back, sensing Obito had stopped, he faced him after a minute. 

Obito was fighting back tears, his lower lip quivering as he sniffled and rubbed his eyes with the crook of his elbow.

_"Seriously, Obito?"_  
_"S-shut up! I told you! you were gonna make me cry! Ugh! I won't forgive you!"_  
_"You're still such a crybaby."_ Kakashi sighed but he was holding back a laugh.

_"Let's just hurry up and go, dumbass!"_ Obito shouted with a final sniffle, stomping ahead as he hid his face with his sleeves. Kakashi laughed as he caught up.  
\---  
The sun started to sink. The temperature dropped as the wind picked up, a sweeping chill across the water made both boys flinch.

"It's getting cold, we should get out." Sasuke looked towards the sun, they were going to be alone for another night.

"Yeah, yeah, okay." Naruto made his way to the shore and Sasuke followed.

Sasuke pulled his clothes out from under the tree and started to get dressed. He heard the sound of Naruto's teeth chattering and looked back at him. 

Naruto was shivering, doing his damndest not to let it show, he regretted jumping in with all his clothes son. 

Sasuke looked down at his own clothes, dry and surely warmer then what Naruto had on. His shirt and shorts clinging wetly to his body, the chill catching the fabric.

"Here." Sasuke held out his shirt and shorts to Naruto. His eyes shined as he started to strip, he pulled the high collar over his head and grinned. The clothes smelled wholly of Sasuke, firewood and jasmine. He pulled on the shorts then peeked over the collar.

"Oh-wait, what're you gonna wear?!"

Sasuke pulled Naruto's jacket from the ground and slipped into it, zipping it up all the way. Sasuke's hair was long enough to brush over the neck piece, the jacket went down just below his waist, near mid thigh, and the sleeves just barely hid his fingers.

"This'll do."

Naruto felt his stomach flutter at the sight as Sasuke adjusted the jacket.

"We'll hang your clothes up with the rest of the wire. They should be dry by the morning."

Naruto nodded dumbly as he watched Sasuke set out a line, from a branch to the ground and start hanging the clothes over it.

"What?" Sasuke turned to Naruto when he realized he was staring at him.

"Huh?! Nothing!" Naruto shouted turning away from Sasuke to start gathering sticks for a fire. Sasuke watched him with quiet inquisitive eyes. 

The Uchiha symbol stitched to Naruto's back seemed to shine with every ray of fading light. He felt his cheeks heat up. 

They just traded clothes, it wasn't anything to feel so flustered about. But he couldn't help the way his cheeks burned. He decided a good distraction would be to pull the dinner scroll out and see what he could find them to eat.

Naruto dropped all the sticks into a pile and crawled over to see what Sasuke had been doing. Sasuke had laid the scroll out, looking over the contents. 

Sasuke could have done it himself, he thought, pushed chakra into the seal. But he wanted to wait for some reason. He liked the feeling of Naruto's chakra combining with his. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Naruto dropped the sticks.

"You're not gonna light it?" Sasuke turned to Naruto expectedly.

"Uh...no?"  
"Why not?"  
"Because! Well! Er...I don't know the fireball jutsu." Naruto huffed with a pout, folding his arms. Sasuke sure had to rub it in.

"An Uchiha who doesn't know the clan technique? What a disgrace." Sasuke joked before he realized what he said.

Naruto gaped at him and Sasuke felt his whole face burn. He bit the inside of the cheek trying to come up with a way to take it back when Naruto burst out laughing. Sasuke stared at him for a moment before shyly following suite. 

Naruto glanced at the untouched seal before puffing out his chest.

"An Uzumaki who can't do a simple unsealing technique? What is the world coming to!" Naruto wailed dramatically as Sasuke continued to laugh. 

Naruto grinned brightly at him, huffing and puffing about young ninja's being so removed from their clans heritage! He was doing a really good impression of some academy teacher.

"S-stop! S-stop!" Sasuke pleaded, his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to stiffle his giggling. He put his hand on Naruto's forearm and Naruto could feel the sparks from their contact. Naruto decided to take mercy on Sasuke, who was trying to catch his breath.

"I'll open the seal and you light the fire?"

Sasuke nodded, a smile still on his face as he moved closer to the sticks. He made quick hand signs before bringing his index finger and thumb to his mouth in a circle. Blowing a small, controlled, stream of fire into the sticks.

Naruto watched him, the light of the fire making his eyes shine, he couldn't help the grin that broke out across his face. 

Sasuke looked so concentrated, like nothing else mattered and everything seemed to melt away. 

It was just the two of them. How nice it would be if they could stay just like this, stay together. Naruto shook the thought from his head and focused on channeling his chakra into the seal.

It glowed and produced a steaming meal for them and Naruto whooped in delight. 

Huddled together, their dinner placed in their laps, fire crackling softly, while the breeze made Naruto's clothes flutter on the line, the stars burning overhead.  
\---  
Kakashi and Obito made it into the valley at sundown, taking the path down the mountain face this time around.

Shisui and Itachi made a grim pair, standing side by side at the meeting point. Shisui flashed Obito and Kakashi a small smile before meeting them half way.

_"Find out anything useful?"_ Shisui's voice was light but strained. Obviously he and Itachi had no luck scouting the area.

_"Yeah! We did! You're not gonna believe it! Get this, turns out their in another dimension!"_

Itachi made a strangled sound in the back of his throat.

_"Yeah sucks right? And Kakashi and I can't get to them!"_

Itachi made yet another sound as what was left of his natural color drained from his face, he looked like he was going to faint. Shisui came to his side to lean against him.

"Uh, that's not... exactly...useful Obito... I mean it is but...at the same time..." Shisui trailed off nervously, eyes flickering to Itachi then back.

"Granny said only soulmates can enter the valley."  
"Granny?"  
"An old woman who befriended us in a tea shop. After Obito scared everyone else away." Kakashi interjected.  
"She gave us sweets, we ate them all so there's none left."

Obito clicked his tongue thoughfully.

"Sorry."

Obito was not sorry.

"Soulmates...?" Shisui blinked.  
"Yeah, if you and your soulmate mix your blood here then you'll enter the valley but--"

Itachi perked up and drew a kunai lightening fast from his hip pouch, eyes set with determination. He looked at Shisui before cutting his finger.

"Shisui." Itachi held out the kunai.

"Good idea, 'Tachi!" Shisui took the blade and cut his finger too, grabbing Itachi's hand and smearing the blood over their palms before dropping down to place his palm flat on the ground.

They waited. The wind blew. Nothing happened.

Itachi looked at Shisui with the most indecipherable expression he could muster, somewhere between a glare and total hurt. He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at Shisui, looking him up and down once.

_"Shisui....is there...someone else?"_ Itachi said softly, folding his eyes, but there was a cutting edge to his words.

Shisui shot up from his position on the ground, eyes wide, putting his hands up in surrender and waving them erratically.

"What?! No! Of course not! You're the only one in my life! _You are my life!_ I would gladly lay down my life and anyone elses for you!" Shisui gestured wildly around them.

Obito and Kakashi looked at each other before Obito raised an eyebrow of his own.

_"Uh, okay, mildy concerning?_ But granny said once someone enters no one else can follow them."  
"So...there's no way for us to get to them..." Itachi cut his eyes to the side.

Shisui slumped into a crouch with a sigh, yet again there was nothing anyone could do at this point.

"She said they'll come back when the solar eclipse is over."  
"When will that be, do you know Kakashi?" Itachi took a step forward.

"She said give or take a day or two. They won't be gone much longer we just have to stay in the valley until then."

"We should set up camp, I brought enough supplies to last us at least that long."

Itachi looked towards the sun, now past the horizon as the moon sat high in the sky watching over them. He sent a small prayer to Amatersasu and Lord Indra that his brother wouldn't be too lonely tonight and for his safe return.

Shisui, sensing Itachi's distress interlaced their hands and squeezed gently, giving Itachi a warm smile. Itachi gave a small one of his own before Obito started to make a racket. Kakashi shoved Obito to get him to stop making retching noises.  
\---  
Naruto and Sasuke laid side by side in the soft grass, Sasuke had his hands over his chest and Naruto with his arms behind his head.

Naruto, not one for silence, started pointing out the consetllations his dad showed him.

"That one's the great toad sage, oh, oh and that one is the lesser sage so I guess that one has to be...um...it looks like a rabbit. Did you know there's rabbits on the moon?"

Sasuke watched the sky intently, tracing the stars as Naruto recited them.

"There's no rabbits on the moon, that's a story about Princess Kaguya."  
"Same thing! They make mochi."

Sasuke giggled at Naruto's adamant rebuttal.

"That's Lord Ashura's star!"  
"No it's Lord Indra's."  
"Is not."  
"Is too."  
"Not."  
"Too."

Naruto scrunched up his face with a pout and Sasuke's eyes flickered to him before back on the star in question.

"It can be both."  
"What? No."  
"Yeah, it's both!"

Sasuke gave up the fight. That was unusual. But it could be both if Naruto wanted it to be. He didn't mind. Sasuke's eyes settled on the moon, a pang of longing shooting through his chest.

Itachi said that Lord Indra watched over the clan from the eye of the moon. He wandered if he was watching him now or over Itachi...

"Do you...miss your family?" Naruto whispered, turning over on his side to face Sasuke. Sasuke nodded, he hated the way his chest tightened and how small he felt swallowed up under the vast expanse of the sky and surrounded by the rolling plane of the valley.

"I miss my mom and dad too."

Sasuke rolled over to face Naruto, his breath hitching at Naruto's yearning expression.

"But...I'm not so sad. Because you're here, you know? I wouldn't want to have gotten lost with anyone else." Naruto laughed quietly. Looking at Sasuke and smiling. Sasuke felt his heart hit against his ribs.

"Even if it's just us, as long as we're together, I feel at home." Naruto let out a soft sigh.

Naruto averted his eyes sheepishly when Sasuke's own widened. 

"Is that weird?"

Sasuke shook his head. He felt the same way but the words were caught in his throat. Naruto scratched his cheek embarrassed, suddenly grateful that it was so dark.

"I...feel the same..." Sasuke's voice was soft and breathy as he finally forced the words out.

"I'm glad...that it's you...and we're together." Sasuke's whole face burned at his confession but the knot in his chest loosened as he curled his hands into fists near his chest.

Naruto sat up abruptly and leaned over to peck Sasuke on the forehead. Sasuke slapped a hand over the spot when Naruto pulled away with a laugh.

"What...?" Sasuke was breathless, eyes darting over Naruto's face then away in rapid succession.

"Oh, you know it's a good night kiss! Like you said your mom does!" Naruto grinned brightly, rocking back and forth as he laughed. Sasuke nodded, that's right he did tell Naruto his mom kissed him at bedtime.

Oh.

Naruto laid down again, still smiling at the stars when Sasuke, mind made up, gave him a kiss back. Naruto giggled and then Sasuke smacked him for good measure. 

But he was also smiling.

They laid shoulder to shoulder and Sasuke felt his eyelids getting heavier with each passing second. He didn't drop off to sleep until he heard Naruto let out a soft snore.

When he finally closed his eyes, he could have sworn he saw a shooting star. He dreamily made a wish,

A wish they could stay like this, just the two of them.  
\---  
It's black again, the dream is, as Sasuke stands alone, eyes unable to adjust to the lack of light. He can hear someone calling for him, he can't place the voice, in the deep recesses of the dark. 

He makes his way, blindly, to the voice. 

Each step causing gold and purple ripples beneath his feet, the only illumination.

He follows, lead along not by sight but by a tug in his chest, something pulling him deeper.

The event horizon explodes in a magnificent display of light. He shields his eyes from the sight.

The ring burning a hole through his irises.

He stands transfixed on the precipice. Stars flash brightly overhead before they plummet. After images, glimpses of a different time, a different life, burn in the tail light flickers as they hurl past him.  
\---  
Dawn made Sasuke squint, shadows and the rays of sun oscillating over his face. He peeked out from under his lashes, long willowy stems and the ends of blurry flowers greeted him. 

_"five more minutes, big brother..."_ Sasuke murmered, a sweet smell filling his nose, he threw an arm over his eyes and drifted back to sleep.

He woke up about half an hour later to rustling and a knee gently nudging his shoulder. He blinked a few times before turning his head. Naruto was sitting cross legged beside him, a backdrop of various flowering plants around him, he was humming to himself and weaving stems in his hands. 

Naruto looked down at Sasuke.

"Oh, did I wake you up?"  
"No...what're you doing? what's happening?" Sasuke sat up to survey their surroundings.

These flowers weren't here when they fell asleep last night...

"Huh? Nothing, I woke up and there was a bunch of flowers! Isn't that cool! I didn't know flowers could grow so fast!"

"They...can't." Sasuke's brows pinched together but Naruto shook off his concern.

"Here!" Naruto dropped the weaved stems on his head. Sasuke looked up at it puzzled, bringing the tips of his fingers to the lilac poking out.

"Heh, you're like a princess! It's a flower crown! My mom showed me how to make them! Isn't it neat! There's so many."

Sasuke scrunched up his face at being called a girl, again. He rolled his eyes and starting snatching the stems of flowers around him, meticulously lacing them together. 

When he was done he threw the crown on Naruto. The sunflowers made his hair look even brighter.

"There, now you're a princess too." Sasuke folded his arms smugly. But Naruto didn't take offense like he thought he would. He thought he would start hollering and kicking up a fuss instead he just smiled brightly with a laugh.

"Wait! There's something missing on yours now!" Naruto plucked a sunflower from his crown and wove it into the one Sasuke was wearing.

Sasuke blinked, surprised at the casual way Naruto had once again turned something around on him.

"Here! Now we match!" Naruto took one of Sasuke's lilacs and added it to his crown. Sasuke felt his heart speed up, again.

The purple and yellow contrasting so perfectly. They only brought out the best in each other.

Oh.

The tips of Sasuke's ears turn more pink then the carnations that surrounded them. His heart somewhere high in his chest, it's only pulled higher as Naruto laughs rocking on his folded legs. 

Sasuke loses himself in the moment once more, unaware Naruto is trying to get his attention. He snaps back to reality when his eyes focus in on Naruto, about a half centimeter from his face. Sasuke pushes him back abruptly and turns his face away.

"Why'd you push me!"  
"Stop being so familiar!"  
"You weren't answering me! You were spaced out! I was asking a question!"

Sasuke folds his arms with an annoyed scowl.

"What is it?"  
"You were talking in your sleep--"

Sasuke's eyes widen, horrified about what must have slipped out.

"But I couldn't understand you! It was like a different language or something! Kinda sounded like your dad."

Sasuke silently thanked Amatersasu for the language barrier between the Uchiha and the rest of the village. Fugaku never spoke the common village language, unless it was in an official meeting.

"It's my clan tongue."  
"No it was a language."

Sasuke levels Naruto with an empty stare. Repressing the urge to put his face in the dirt for his stupidity.

"It's the language my family speaks."  
"Woah! Really?! Teach me!"  
"That would be a waste of time. It's really hard. You wouldn't get it." Sasuke's smug, he knows others have spent years trying to learn the Uchiha language only to give up. He also knows Kakashi has only been able to speak it thanks to a lifetime spent around the Uchiha. 

But Naruto doesn't back down.

"Just one word! Come on! Just one!"

Sasuke thought it over. It would be funny to watch Naruto trip over the unique insults that the Uchiha used. It's not like anyone would know what Naruto meant anyways. How much trouble could it possibly be?

It could've been easy, it should have been. 

Unfortunately for Sasuke the Uchiha language is a particularly complex and fickle system. Even the slightest error in pronunciation, or syntax, be it lingering on a syllable or changing pitch, will drastically change a word and it's meaning. Coupled with the fact the language is intimate in nature and almost entirely contextual..

He should have been more careful.

"Okay... fine." Sasuke rolled his eyes and Naruto leaned forward, eyes bright, set with an intense determination.

Sasuke tried for an insult. Something easy, tame enough to not get them in trouble if Naruto used it around his brother, but one that would have some weight to it.

Something short, maybe two syllablse, no drastic pitch change or dramatic inflection.

But his intonation slipped at the end of the syllable, Naruto's expression making his focus sway, his eyes widening in horror at his mistake.

Sasuke was tempted to slap his hand over his mouth, drag the word back and never speak again.

What he said wasn't an insult, far from it. 

It was a high term of endearment. The only one, the only fire, the light fire to me.

My one and only.

"What does it mean?" Naruto leaned forward, transfixed with how the syllables flowed in a velvet stream.

"It means..." Sasuke paused, he needed something pausible, something that Naruto wouldn't suspect.

"Idiot..." Sasuke was uncharacteristicly sheepish, averting his eyes as and his fingers starting to fidgit. 

It must be a really daring insult among the Uchiha, Naruto thought. Considering Sasuke uses the village equivalent on Naruto all the time. Maybe it had to do with the pride all Uchiha seemed to carry.

Naruto's eyes shined at the prospect of hurling insults at people that they wouldn't understand.

His face lite up at the potential new nickname. He was going to use his own language against Sasuke! Ha! He had the upper hand here.

"Okay! _my only one_!" Naruto shouted, there was no mistake in his imitation. Sasuke caught it loud and clear. 

Oh.

This wasn't supposed to happen. This isn't how he thought he'd feel. Like all his blood froze in his viens, though burning like liquid fire, his heart stopping momentarily only to kick up a few notches. 

Why didn't he think Naruto would use it against him. That's the only reason Naruto would ask to learn something from him. So that he could throw it right back in Sasuke's face.

He almost regrets it. 

Sasuke stands up, pink faced, grabbing the crown off his head.

"Let's go. We're wasting time."

Naruto rises slowly, looking Sasuke up and down for a short moment. Maybe the insult really got to him. It wasn't going to stop him from using it though. 

Not if Sasuke gets this flustered over it.

"Hey, you're not gonna wear it?" Naruto looks at the crown, in Sasuke's hand, almost disappointed. 

Sasuke glances down then back to Naruto. They did match, there wasn't a problem with wearing it. It wouldn't get in the way.

Sasuke put it back, adjusting it carefully lest he ruin the flowers. Who knows how long Naruto had been working on this. 

When he notices the various failed attempts scattered around on Naruto's side, he gets just how long.

"There, okay? Let's go." Sasuke huffs, trying to deflect how his heart hits against his ribs like it's trying to escape.

"Yeah! Alright!" Naruto bounces around, gathering up their supplies before taking Sasuke's bag as his own.

"My clothes are still hanging up."  
"I'll just take them, it's faster this way."

Sasuke snatches the clothes off the line, unzipping the jacket and pulling Naruto's shirt over his head. Naruto feels something in his stomach flutter as he watches Sasuke step into his clothes. Like it was normal, just another part of their day. He doesn't realize how white his knuckles appear on the strap of the bag.

Sasuke ties the jacket around his waist before turning to Naruto again.

"Come on, deadlast, let's go."

Naruto scowls at the nick name, then beams because he has one of his own.

"Sure thing _my only one_!!" Naruto takes a step in front of a pink faced, wide eyed, Sasuke. 

Grinning all the while, he throws a look back at Sasuke, all his teeth on display, the sun catching his smile. Sasuke doesn't like the sound that comes out of his own throat. Naruto hits him on the back, a little too hard to be playful. Sasuke scowls at him.

"Hehe, sounded like you were choking!"

Sasuke frowns as they continue their trek. He can't shake the feeling that something isn't quite right. Like the world is at a slant, something happening just out of sight, just out of reach. 

He wonders if Naruto can feel it too. This nagging sensation in the recesses of his mind.

"Are we going the right way?"  
"All we have to do is go straight, even you can't mess that up."  
"Haha, you're so funny Sasuke." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"But really, we've been walking for hours! How big can this place be! It's been a whole day!" Naruto whined, head tilted back.

Sasuke's silent, it shouldn't have taken them this long, they should have been there by now. He fingers the strap of his bag, pulling it close.

"Why hasn't anyone found us either! Iruka Sensei is always the first one to show up when we're in trouble!!" Naruto continued, kicking small rocks along the way.

"They're all Jonin level ninja."  
"Huh? Yeah no shit?"  
"There's a Hyuuga chuunin with them, it doesn't make sense why--."  
"Hinata isn't a chuunin."  
"Her body guard is, you didn't notice?"

Naruto scrunches up his face in thought, no, he hadn't noticed. He hadn't been paying attention to anyone else. No one except Sasuke.

"Why does she have a body guard?"  
"That's your question?"  
"Yeah! There's plenty of Jonin on the field trip why does she need someone to guard her?  
"It's because she's a clan heir... Naruto, she has a bloodline limit."  
"Like you? Why didn't you get a body guard?"  
"Father--"  
"Is that why you got kidnapped?" Naruto interjected, his next questions coming in quick succession.

"Because they wanted your Sharingan?"  
"But you haven't gotten Sharingan yet?"  
"Have you?! You didn't tell me?!"  
"What would've happened to you?"

Sasuke's head spins at the interrogation, trying to keep up with Naruto's rapid fire.

"Yes, yes, no, no, and--"  
"Yes, yes, no, no to what?!"  
"Shut up!"

"Yes they wanted the sharingan! No I haven't awakened it! and I don't know what would have happened to me!! Or what happened to any of the others who got taken!!" Sasuke shouts back, recalling the events caused panic to coil in his gut, shooting through him to make his chest seize. His eyes screwed shut as he thinks about what could have happened to him.

Naruto's uncharacteristically quiet, blue eyes taking careful stock of the way Sasuke's chest stutters and his hands and shoulders shake.

"Nothing is...gonna happen to you, ya know?"

Sasuke's eyes snap open to stare at Naruto, whose face is set with a strange mixture of determination and concern.

"Nothing is going to happen to you while I'm with you! I won't let anyone hurt you again!" Naruto sweeps his hand in a wide arc before jabbing his chest with his thumb.

"Believe it!"

The wind blows around them, tousling their hair and Sasuke could have sworn he saw a different backdrop flicker behind them. 

A waterfall and two towering figures off to either side. A burning circle in the sky. 

It's there, if only for the barest fraction of a second, then gone.

He nods slowly, the feeling coming back to his legs. His heart crawls back down his throat to settle in his chest but he still can't find the words still caught there.

He nods again, it's all he can do.

Naruto grins when he feels Sasuke relax. Because he can feel it, can't he? The exact moment when Sasuke's mind violently shunted away from his body. As it does when he's distressed, pulling away from the situation, pulling away from everyone. 

But he'll be there. To grab him tight and pull him back from the precipice.

Naruto bumps their shoulders together and Sasuke blinks at the contact for a moment before falling back into their normal routine with a huff.

"Hey! You know, since I saved you, I guess that makes me your bodyguard! Hehe!"

Naruto laughed, giving Sasuke's shoulder another bump. Sasuke flushed and pushed him away.

"Don't be so casual!"

Naruto rubs his shoulder, with a click of his tongue.

"Man, you're such a bastard I bet they would've given you back anyways!" Naruto teases.

"But I'm such a good body guard that they didn't get the chance"

Sasuke rolls his eyes, apprehension gone and replaced by fond annoyance. He hums along with Naruto's antics.

"But it is weird, right?"  
"What?"  
"That no one has found us yet?"  
"Yeah...it...it's weird."  
"Iunno, something just feels kinda off, right?"

So Naruto did notice, has kept it to himself, for how long Sasuke isn't sure. But what he is sure about, is that Naruto may have picked up on something he hasn't.

"The valley?"

Naruto nods.

"Iunno, I can't explain it? I didn't want to scare you before, but--"

Naruto starts to lose focus as Sasuke turns the full power of his attention to him, going so far as to stop walking.

"But?"

Naruto stills. Sasuke's dark eyes set with an intensity that makes Naruto squirm.

"Hold on! Hold on! I can't think when you're staring at me!" Naruto raps his knuckles on his temples in an attempt to organize his thoughts. His face turning red. Sasuke raises an eyebrow and folds his arms, looking just to the side to take the heat off Naruto.

"But what, Naruto?"  
"It's just like since we got here it's been weird ya know?! Like I feel something in the air? Like-like chakra! Like the feeling of chakra but it's not! But it's heavy! Like heavy chakra!"

Sasuke nods, trying to make sense of what Naruto is trying to explain. Why does the topic of chakra make him feel like he's forgetting something. 

Something very important, he thinks back while Naruto rambles on.

It clicks.

"We're not supposed to be able to use chakra here."

Naruto stops, cocking his head to the side.

"Uh, Sasuke I know being stupid is kind of my thing but you're doing a really good--"  
"Listen to me! Iruka Sensei said chakra isn't able to be used here--"  
"But we HAVE been using chakra!"

Naruto shouts, arms out like what Sasuke's inferring is ridiculous.

Sasuke nods.

"Why would he lie to us?"  
"I don't think....I don't think he was lying. But...maybe they can't find us because we're not in the valley."  
"Hey, I think you've gotten even better then me at being stupid, Sasuke."  
"I know it's hard, Naruto, but just try to think for a moment! You said it yourself! Something...weird is happening here...I feel it too."

Naruto thinks it over, everything that's happened since they've arrived. The river, the trees, the flower fields, the shifting landscape.

It couldn't be a coincidence, could it?

"Sasuke thats--"  
"Be quiet."

Naruto's jaw clicks shut as Sasuke closes his eyes. Breathing deeply, he spreads his awareness, his chakra out. Radiating from his core to sink into the earth. A meditation technique Obito had showed him. The uchiha were not sensory ninja, but they did have other ways to see in the unconventional sense of the word.

The heavy atmosphere Naruto described settled on top of his consciousness. The oppressive drag weighing him down. He hadn't felt it before. Maybe Naruto was just more sensitive to chakra disturbances.

Behind his eyes he sees starts to see circles, faintly at first then gaining prominence. Lazy spinning rings that shift in the dark, they play across the dark backdrop of his eyelids moving in and out in three dimension. 

He feels a tug, something drawing him to the one dawning over the horizon event. 

Just like his dreams of a burning hole in the sky.

Strange images flicker across his vision. Fragmented, jagged, pieces that are gone too quickly to make sense of. 

Lightening screams somewhere in the distance followed by an explosion of wind manifested as a spinning, white, sphere.

The feeling intensifies. 

The call of the void. 

His eyes darting behind his eyelids as his eye brows pinch together.

Hands that he doesn't recognize seal themselves together, the sun and moon etched in the flesh.

His left palm tingling, he clenches it into a tight fist to stave off the sensation of growing static, power.

His eyes snap open, startled, when Naruto shakes him. Naruto's hands are trembling on his shirt, only inches away from his face, blue eyes impossibly wide.

"W-what are you doing?" Sasuke manages to choke out, his chakra coming back to settle in his coils.

"Y-your chakra, i-it-- I saw it! You weren't answering me! You were just standing there while I was yelling!"  
"You saw...my chakra?"

Naruto nods, dropping his hands away from Sasuke.

"Yeah...it...it was purple, it...felt weird...kinda? Like I could feel it too, but it was different..."

Naruto's eyes cut to the side, something he isn't saying. Sasuke swallowed hard before urging Naruto to go on.

"Different...?"  
"Felt like....I don't know...sad? Angry? I don't know...it was you, it was yours, but it...it didn't feel like you. I know your chakra, I know how it feels but that...that wasn't yours, ya know!"

Sasuke's eyes widen at the confession. Naruto knows his chakra well enough to sense a change that Sasuke hadn't felt, hadn't even been aware of.

"What were you even doing?"  
"I channeled my charka...down into the valley, like what we were doing with the leafs earlier but this time, I got something back."  
"That's why you're chakra did that?"  
"I don't know, I felt something push back."  
"I wanna know! Let me try it!"  
\---  
"I win!"  
_"You're cheating!"_ Obito shouted pointing an accusatory finger at Shisui, who merely sat back with a grin, feigning offense with a hand on his chest.

Itachi peeked up from his cards to raise an eyebrow at the squabble. Kakashi merely put his down, bowing out with grace, at least he was close this time with two cards left, Obito had at least fourteen.

"What're you talking about, Obito?"  
"There's no way you won 5 times in a row without cheating!"  
"Nah."  
" _Liar!_ You're using genjutsu! this is the light festival all over again!"  
_"We're not even using sharingan, how am I cheating?"_  
"You're counting cards then!"  
"Uh, we're playing uno."  
"You can still count them!" Obito bristled, his cards flat under his palm as he leaned forward.

Kakashi and Itachi traded a look before sitting back themselves, no need to get in the middle of whatever this was. Better to let them settle it.

"That's not how it works."  
"Bullshit!"  
"Come'on don't be a sore loser, dump-"

Obito's eyes narrowed, daring him to say that nickname, daring him to give him a reason to lunge over the pile of cards.

_"Big cousin Obito!"_ Shisui beamed and a flush rose in Obito's face as his eyes widened, even the tips of his ears were red. 

Kakashi rolled his eyes, if there was a way to make Obito do a complete 180 from anger to elation, then that was it. It was like a switch flipped somewhere in his brain, he was big cousin Obito now, there was no way he could stay mad at his little cousin.

"What do you say, big cousin, a lightening round just between us?"  
"Wellll, since you asked so nicely! I guess I can't refuse!" Obito sniffed proudly, sitting back with a smile, Shisui's grin only widened as he reached for the deck. 

Obito caught his wrist, still smiling.

_"Kakashi shuffles this time."_  
"Sure, sure, here, _cousin."_

Shisui handed the deck over to Kakashi, who sighed. He starts to shuffle the deck, trying to randomize it as much as possible. He didn't want or need to be accused of taking sides. He deals the cards out as Obito and Shisui continue their stare down, smiling all the while.

_"You first, little cousin."_ Obito glances at his cards, it's a good hand. 

Kakashi's definitely on his side.

"Are we still playing chains?" Shisui asks sweetly, arranging his cards in no particular order.

Obito's lip twitched as Shisui's eyes seem to shine with mischief.

Maybe Kakashi isn't on his side after all.

"Yeah sure, chains are still game."  
"Okay! Draw two, big cousin!"

The game progresses much faster then before, Itachi isn't in the game to weigh out his moves, so they both start slapping down cards and picking them up in rapid session. 

"Maa, you two are quite intense."

Itachi nods, mesmerised by the fact they both seem to make split second decisions and strategies seemingly at random. He can't get a feel of what either of them are doing, or how they plan to win. He takes a few mental notes.

"Uno!" Shisui calls, he's down to one and Obito still has five cards left. Though Obito doesn't look like he's about to scream, he actually looks quite content with himself.

Kakashi attempts to peek at Obito's cards, but he's quickly pushed away.

"Back up, bakashi!"

_"Your move, big cousin"._  
_"Eager to lose, little cousin?"_  
_"I always play to win."_

Shisui winks and Obito smirks, his teeth peeking out from behind his lips. Shisui narrows his eyes as the first card comes down. A reverse, Obito's turn again, a skip for the second card, another for the third, a draw two that Shisui can't counter.

"Uno."

Shisui clicks his tongue as he pulls two more from the pile, his eyes spark at his new found treasures. He can win for sure, he just needs to be patient.

_"Sorry, big cousin!"_

Shisui isn't sorry.

Shisui slaps down a draw four and Kakashi is sure that Obito is going to have a meltdown. But the calm never leaves him.

_"Heh. Draw eight, little cousin."_ Obito gently lays down his last card with a shit eating grin. Shisui's face twists in a grimace.

Itachi pats Shisui on the back and Kakashi, even with more then half his face covered, looks more surprised then all of them.

"I win!" Obito pumps his fists, laying back with a contented sigh. 1-5 isn't as bad as 2-50, so he'll take it.

Shisui's eyes flicker over the pile, doing a few mental calculations before his eyes widen.

"That draw four isn't even apart of this deck!"  
_"You were counting cards you little shit!"_ Obito shouts as he sits up, the cards going every which way as he stumbles over to Shisui.

Shisui grins widely, he's been caught.

Kakashi's attempts to grab Obito only to get pulled onto his side to be dragged along as Obito crawls forward.

A couple cards slip from the wrist of Kakashi's glove, he stills as Obito slowly looks down past his head to them. 

_"YOU!"_

Kakashi lets go of Obito to land the couple inches on his back.

"Ah, oops?"

Shisui cackles as Itachi shakes his head, the tips of all yellow cards peeking out from under his thigh.

"Hey! Is that why I never got any yellows?" Shisui leans forward to snatch a card from under Itachi's thigh, he flicks the tip for emphasis.

"My strategy was for a longer game, there's too many variables to play a complicated hand." Itachi merely shrugs.

"All of you! Cheaters! Every single one of you!"  
"I don't know what you expected!"  
"A little decency maybe!"  
\---  
Naruto copies Sasuke, closing his eyes and conjuring his chakra, pushing his chakra down, down, down.

He doesn't feel any different, the weight of what he thought was chakra still weighing on his shoulders. A heavy, constant presence. He concentrates harder, chakra being siphoned away from his coils, then he feels it. 

The shift and sway of a Incredible riptide, forcing him back as something, great and terrible, pushes back, up, against his chakra.

He blinks, eyes open but it's still dark. He turns around, arms at the ready. Is this what Sasuke saw? Just a vast nothingness.

Candles blink into existence, one by one revealing a large stone corridor. Thick iron bars materialize from seemingly nothing. A large seal taping the bars closed.

"Little Uzumaki." A gruff voice booms from behind the bars, a large shadow shifting with each word. Naruto takes a step back, eyes wide. A fierce wind blows his hair in every direction as he brings his arms up to shield his face.

Glowing red eyes emanate from the darkness of the cage.

"Who are you!" Naruto's voice shakes, but he refuses to show fear. The voice doesn't register, but he swears he's heard it before.

The voice laughs, a loud snarling growl dripping with amusement.

"Have you come to beg for power?

Bubbling, red chakra seeps out from underneath the bars. Spreading slowly like molten lava, Naruto takes a step back from it. Can feel the raw power, the rage, anger and disappointment that flows thickly through the corrosive chakra.

"What the hell is that?!"  
"The seal has weakened, I feel it. You'll need the strength for what's coming, little Uzumaki!"

Naruto bristles, he doesn't need to rely on anyone's power.

"I don't need your power! I'll be strong on my own!"  
"Such confidence, as to be expected from the son of Kushina...."

Naruto pauses, confused, he stands up straighter. If this, if this thing knows his mom then he shouldn't be in danger.

"You...you know my mom?"  
"Arrogant brat! Do you not understand what you are?! Who you host!" The voice booms, coming to press against the bars.

The outline of a terrible beast presents itself, a massive fox with nine rails that whip furiously back and forth.

An amalgamation of malicious, furious chakra condensed into a single entity. The jaws of oblivion stare him down and Naruto takes an unconscious step forward to gawk at the majesty of a demon incarnate.

The chakra collects at his feet, latching onto him and crawling up to consume him. 

Naruto doubles over at the intensity flooding his body. It's overwhelming this feeling of raw power, the untapped magnitude.

Violent, visions flash across his eyes as he's overtaken.

Mirrors of crystalline ice, a clash in a valley, the inferno of chakra swallowing his subconscious, the village in ruins and a strange man with ringed irises.

The visions flow through the chakra to the demon fox behind the bars. 

"To be together again in this life as well, what an interesting series of events and to meet in a place such as this no less...Six Paths, you're indeed crafter then I."

The boiling chakra recedes back to where it came.

A surge of pure sunlight sears Naruto's plam as he squeezes his eyes shut.

"Call on me soon, little Uzumaki."

The blinding sear of clasp hands makes his vision go white followed by a scream of a thousand birds.

**"Farewell, my one and only!"**


End file.
